


On The Road Again

by nerdcredred, Ocelot_l



Series: Lifetimes [28]
Category: Atop the Fourth Wall, That Guy with the Glasses/Channel Awesome
Genre: Homophobic Slurs, M/M, References to past death, mentions of nudity
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-04-29
Updated: 2014-04-29
Packaged: 2018-01-21 05:50:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 45,039
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1539974
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nerdcredred/pseuds/nerdcredred, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ocelot_l/pseuds/Ocelot_l
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It's time for Harvey's annual tour, and this year he's bringing along somebody special.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> All works can also be found at my LiveJournal page at http://bookishlady242.livejournal.com/
> 
> Written for the Secret Treehouse 2014 TGWTG Big Bang. Based on a Secret Treehouse Kink Meme prompt. Bonus content for the fic can be found at my LJ account.
> 
> Warnings/Triggers: homophobic slurs, mentions of nudity, references to past death
> 
> DISCLAIMER: We do not own these characters nor the people who portray these characters. This is meant as a work of fiction and is fair use. "On The Road Again" is performed by Willie Nelson. "Spoonman" is performed by Soundgarden. "Better Man" is performed by Pearl Jam. "Smells Like Teen Spirit" and "Come As You Are" are performed by Nirvana, swing cover performed by Paul Anka. "Take On Me" is performed by A-Ha. "My Way", "Summer Wind", "Fly Me To The Moon" and "The Way You Look Tonight" are performed by Frank Sinatra. "Unforgettable" is performed by Nat King Cole. "Under the Bridge" is performed by Red Hot Chili Peppers. "Moon River" is performed by Andy Williams. "Master of the House" is performed by the Les Miserables soundtrack.

**Day -14**

Linkara went to knock on Harvey’s bedroom door before realizing it was halfway open. He quickly popped his head inside and took in how the usually tidy room was in a state of disarray. Shirts, slacks, belts and socks were piled all over the bed, while jackets and ties were draped over the window. A couple of open suitcases were already half-filled on the floor, and from under the bed two very familiar legs were sticking out. It all added up to one thing: Harvey was packing up for another one of his concert tours.

“Mind if I come in?” Linkara called, loudly enough for Harvey to hear him. “I thought I might give you a hand with some of this packing, if you’d like.”

“Sure, Kid, c’mon in!” Harvey called out before pulling himself out from under the bed. “Whew! I don’t remember sliding my suitcases under there so far last time.” He wiped some sweat from his brow before clicking open the piece of luggage and laying it out across the bed.

Linkara’s eyebrows rose a bit as he took in all the bags Harvey had pulled out. “Five suitcases? Don’t you think that’s a little much? I know you’ll be gone for almost two months this time, but sheesh, how many outfits are you bringing?”

Harvey merely grinned in response and said, “You can never have too much of a good thing. Oh, and can you hand me that sewing kit over there, Kid?” Harvey nodded in thanks as he was given the kit and immediately started threading a needle. “One of the seams burst on this suit jacket. You know, I always keep a pocket one of these beauties with me when I’m on the road. It was tricky to learn, but very much worth it. When you’re the next one on stage and your button goes flying, you gotta make do with your own skills.” He stitched the seam up quickly and slipped the jacket over his shoulders, spinning for Linkara’s benefit. “Whattaya think? Can I wow the crowds in this?”

Linkara nodded in approval. “Very impressive. You’ve certainly wowed me, so the crowds won’t stand a chance.” He walked over and gave Harvey a quick kiss. “What am I going to do without you here for two months?” Linkara murmured, wrapping his arms around the singer and hugging him close. “The place never feels the same when you’re gone. Linksano gets twitchier than he usually is, Ninja starts bragging about his supposedly superior cooking skills, and 90s Kid is all over me to play with him. I know I won’t get a moment’s peace until you’re back where you belong, Harvey.” Even though he griped about it, Linkara really didn’t hate it that much when Harvey left. He just liked giving the older man plenty of reasons to come back.

Harvey wrapped his arms around Linkara and pulled him into a deeper kiss. “I don’t know what I’ll do without you either, Kid, but I just can’t deny the world the beauty of my golden pipes. I’m sure you’ll be able to take care of the kids while I’m away.”

“Yeah, yeah, stick them all with me while you go out and have fun, that’s a nice idea.” Linkara teased, both well aware that he wasn’t serious.

Harvey pulled back and decided now would be the best time to tell Linkara about his idea. “Although I might be able to make it a little easier for you,” he began, moving toward the bed and folding up his clean shirts. He didn’t know why he felt so nervous all of a sudden. “Did I ever tell you about a deal Charlie and I had, Kid?” Harvey began as he started rolling up his bathrobe.

“No, I don’t think you told me that.” Linkara answered; surprised that Harvey was bringing up Charlie all of a sudden. He didn’t usually talk about his son since the subject stirred up good as well as bad memories.

“When he was little, I told him that if he always did all his chores and got good grades in school that I’d let him come on the road with me, to follow along with my tour.” Harvey grinned, pausing his packing for a minute as he thought back quite a while. “Those were some good times he and I had together. Those trips were some of the best parts of my life.”

Linkara easily understood why these particular memories would definitely be considered good. “Those sound like some wonderful times you had together.” He said softly, laying a hand on Harvey’s arm.

Harvey shook himself out of his reverie before the melancholy crept in and turned back to Linkara. “So anyway, I’ve been thinking lately. Junior’s been feeling kinda bored cooped up in the house these days, and he’s had it kinda rough recently what with all the threats and missions and stuff. But he’s been a good kid, and since I’m gonna be driving this thing, and since I hate long car trips by myself...maybe I could see if he’d like to come along with me?”

“I think 90s Kid would be ecstatic to come with you,” Linkara replied at once. “That sounds like a really great idea. It’d be good for him to see more of the country and I know he’d love to spend more time with you. He really looks up to you, Harvey.” Linkara gave him a warm smile. “I think you should ask him right away. Otherwise you might come to your senses and realize that you are voluntarily cooping yourself up in a car with a teenager for two months.” He finished playfully.

Harvey chuckled, packing up his makeup in a plastic bag. “Yeah, that’s one part of those old trips that I don’t miss. But Junior’s gotta be a little more mature than most teenagers, I hope.” Linkara frowned at the suggestion of 90s Kid being mature, but he held his tongue. Harvey would find out whether or not that was true soon enough.

Harvey sighed once he’d grown tired of packing, moving to sit down on the bed and stretch a bit. “I just really wanna be able to show Junior a good time out there. We’ve been getting pretty close lately, especially after he found out about everything.” Harvey fiddled with a hairbrush. “When I first met him, he reminded me so much of Charlie that I didn’t wanna think about it. I said a lot of things to him that I really regret...”

“I think he’ll have a great time on the road with you, Harvey.” Linkara agreed as he sat down beside the older man. “We’ve all done things we regret, even me if you can believe it.” He joked, trying to lighten the mood a little. “But 90s Kid can give as good as he gets and he bounces right back no matter what.”

“I know he’s forgiven me for the things I’ve said, but I still feel like a heel. I just wanna be good to him, y’know? Because even though it hurts sometimes, Junior…he makes things easier. So the trip isn’t just me bringing him along for companionship, it’s also sorta me saying thank you, I guess?” Harvey shrugged. “Sorry if that don’t make sense. I’m just thinking out loud.”

Linkara wrapped his arms around Harvey again, wanting to feel close to him. “You are good to him, Harvey, and he’s good to you. You don’t know how much I love hearing that he’s making things easier for you. It all makes perfect sense to me. You deserve a happy, loving life, which is what 90s Kid and I, and everyone here is going to try to give you.”

Harvey leaned his head on Linkara’s shoulder, soaking in his words. “You guys do give me a great life, Kid. I don’t know where I’d be without you.”

Linkara kissed Harvey softly again before resting his head atop Harvey’s. “I guess I’ve got two people to miss and worry about during this trip now. I mean, I know 90s Kid hasn’t said yes yet, but there’s no way he’ll turn you down. I guess I should count my blessings that I won’t be stuck playing the Dreamcast for the next two months.” Though he continued to joke, there was a twinge of worry and sadness in Linkara’s voice. Despite the problems they had, he truly cared about 90s Kid and would miss him almost as much as he’d miss Harvey.

Harvey turned to Linkara and frowned as he caught the note in his voice. “You okay, Kid? You sure you want me to take Junior along on this trip? I know you get lonesome when I go off on tour, but I don’t wanna make the house seem even quieter to ya.” Harvey felt a bit of guilt creep in and looked down, wondering if he was doing the right thing. “Look, Kid, it really won’t be so bad on my own. I’ve done it before, so if this’ll be too hard on ya just say the word. Besides, I don’t know if Junior will want to go with me anyway. All the places we’d visit would be all fancy and stuff that ain’t up his alley.”

Linkara’s eyes widened and he scrambled to correct his error. “Oh no, Harvey, I didn’t mean that I don’t want you to ask him! I really think it would be good for the both of you to spend this time together! Besides, this place is never lonely and quiet! Did you forget we’re housing a mad scientist with a lab that explodes almost weekly, a clown who communicates via horns and tumbling, and a ninja who watches dance-related shows and plays DDR constantly? Add in Pollo and Nimue, and I’m actually wishing you’d take more of the team with you!”

“You gotta point there. These turkeys never let us have any peace, but I wouldn’t have it any other way.” Harvey laughed and squeezed Linkara’s hand.

With a confident smile now in place, Linkara squeezed back. “Please, Harvey, I want you to ask him. I know 90s Kid will say yes and have a wonderful time with you. So listen to your leader once again, and do not let anything dissuade you from this mission. Do you copy that, soldier?” he finished with a playful wink to the singer.

“You bet I copy that. I’ll make it my mission to show that kid a good time and come home to you with a good report, sir.” Harvey saluted and winked, pleased when Linkara started laughing, before getting up to continue his packing. Very soon he would put his plan into action. Deep down in his gut he knew that 90s Kid would want to do this with him, but for now, the butterflies in his stomach continued to flutter.

\-----

**Day -13**

90s Kid chomped down heartily on his cereal that Saturday morning. Once he was done, he had a full day ahead of him of watching cartoons, visiting the comic shop, and then heading over to Dan’s for a movie. As he pondered over whether they should watch a 90s action flick or an 80s comedy, 90s Kid watched Harvey walk into the kitchen and pour himself a cup of coffee. “Morning, Harvey-dude,” he said as he licked a bit of sugar residue off his spoon. “There’s tons of Frosty-Os if you want some, or Linkara’s got that boring Cheerios 2 junk too.” He helpfully told the singer.

Harvey nodded at 90s Kid, feeling hopeful at the sight of the teenager already being in such a good mood, but there was nothing strange about that. “Morning, Junior,” he told him as he slid some bread in the toaster. “Thanks for the offer, but I’ll stick with my usual.” Harvey sat down at the table and smiled at him, hoping he didn’t look as nervous as he felt. “So, uh, you got plans today?”

90s Kid smiled back at Harvey and was pleased to see the singer in such a good mood. Sometimes Harvey could be a bit cranky in the mornings, but today he seemed totally cool. “Oh yeah, my day is, like, full of stuff!” 90s Kid said as he explained all of his plans.

Harvey listened as 90s Kid cheerfully spilled out every detail. “No kidding. Well, that sounds just dandy.” He took a sip of his coffee. “So, y’know, I’m gonna be heading off for my tour soon. Two months of driving all around the country, seein’ the sights, livin’ the life,” he began in an upbeat tone.

90s Kid took a sip of his orange juice as he nodded at Harvey’s words. “Oh yeah, Linkara said that."

“Yeah, it’s gonna be great. Though the downside is, I do have to be in that car for miles and miles by myself. That’s rough on a guy, y’know?”

“Yeah, that’s, like, a totally long time to be driving, dude,” he agreed, tapping his spoon to his chin as he thought about it. “I’ve never been in a car that long. I don’t know if I could do it by myself like you do, that sounds totally harsh. I wish there was some way it was easier for you, but since you hate planes and junk, you probably have to do it this way. Bummer, man.”

“Yeah, it’s gonna be rough,” Harvey repeated, buttering up his toast. “So you’ve never been on a long car trip, Junior?”

90s Kid shook his head. “Nah, I haven’t been on a lot of trips. I think I remember visiting my aunt and uncle’s farm once, but that was only like an hour away.”

“They can be long and tedious, but they’re fun, especially when you got a good pal sitting beside you.” Harvey smiled at the teen. “You know, we’ve been getting along a little better lately, haven’t we? We haven’t been mixing like oil and water, and we’ve actually had a good time together, except when someone’s trying to blow the roof in, of course.”

90s Kid smiled and nodded at Harvey’s question. “Oh yeah, dude, I totally think we get along awesome now. I like it when we, like, hang out at the karaoke bar and watch movies and junk. You’re totally fun, Harvey-dude.”

Harvey decided to finally just come out and ask the question that had been plaguing his thoughts for weeks. “You ever wanted to go out there and see the sights, Junior? Meet new folks, have good times, make good memories? What I’m trying to say is...why don’t you come away on this tour with me?”

90s Kid was about to take another bite of his cereal but he lowered his arm at Harvey’s question.

“What? Dude, are you serious?” He stared into Harvey’s nervous but honest eyes and realized that he’d meant every word. “Oh, wow, this is so...wow.” 90s Kid set down his spoon so he could clasp his hands together. “I never thought you’d wanna take me with you when you leave. So you mean, like, we’d be driving around together and visiting all these cool places and hanging out with hardcore musicians and eating at drive-thrus and staying up all night in hotel rooms?” The more he talked about it, the more excited 90s Kid seemed to get. “Oh wow, that all sounds really radical, dude! I can’t believe I get to go with you and do all that stuff! Harvey-dude, this sounds like a totally fun idea!” Without warning, 90s Kid jumped up and ran over to wrap his arms around Harvey’s shoulders. “This is gonna be the most awesome trip ever!”

Harvey grunted softly from the hug, but his happiness was so infectious that he felt as if he weighed nothing at all, and he enthusiastically squeezed the teen back. “I’m happy you’re so excited about it, Junior. Trip’s in two weeks, so be sure to pack plenty of changes of clothes, though you could always end up wearing mine.” Harvey teased with a grin, knowing that 90s Kid would pack a whole trunk full of flannel and jeans to make sure that never happened.

90s Kid scoffed at the suggestion. “As if! I’ll totally rather streak before I wear the junk you do!”

Harvey shuddered from such a threat. “Please don’t make me picture things that’ll give me nightmares,” he teased. “Oh, and try to pack some stuff to keep you entertained too, since it won’t all be fun and games on the road. But it should still be a dandy time, so don’t worry too much about it.”

90s Kid pulled back from the hug then and started counting off items on his fingers as he named them out loud. “Okay, so let’s see. I totally need to bring my sketchbook and pencils, and some awesome tunes to listen to, and some comics if we get stuck in a traffic jam or something.”

“Boy, I bet Crockett will be jealous about this fabulous trip you’ll be going on.” Harvey said, while starting to mentally calculate how much space would be left in his car after the addition of 90s Kid’s stuff.

“For sure! I...oh...” 90s Kid trailed off just then, his expression falling. “Dan. I totally forgot about...”

Harvey frowned as he noticed the change in his face. It suddenly hit him that Dan might not take well to 90s Kid leaving, especially after remembering 90s Kid’s unexpected journey to the future. Harvey respected 90s Kid’s relationship with Dan, but he wished that Dan wasn’t quite as clingy with the teenager sometimes. “Look, Junior, if you need to change your mind-”

90s Kid shook his head and smiled once more. “Uh, d-don’t worry, Harvey-dude, I just have to tell Dan about this. I’m sure he’ll be cool with it, so just leave it all to me and it’ll be totally fine.” 90s Kid quickly polished off the rest of his cereal and left the room then. He didn’t feel too certain of his words, but he couldn’t bear to let Harvey down after he’d already promised to go with him. 90s Kid just hoped Dan would be okay with being separated from him for a few months.

Harvey watched silently as 90s Kid left the room. _“I hope everything works out for you, Junior.”_ he thought as he opened the morning paper.

\-----

**Night -13**

90s Kid glanced down at Dan, who was nestled against him on the couch, and smiled. It had been a wonderful day and now that the sun had set, 90s Kid was sure it would also be a wonderful night. However, before that wonderful night could occur, 90s Kid had to tell Dan something which could potentially end the evening right there. He waited until the movie was over before grabbing the remote and turning the TV off. “Dude, that movie was totally awesome.” 90s Kid said as he bent down to kiss Dan’s forehead.

Dan smiled back at him and nuzzled his neck a bit. “I’m glad you liked it, sweetie. I’m so happy we got to spend the day together, since there’s nobody else I’d rather share my 80s gems with than you.”

“Thanks for suggesting it, Dan. But, um, there’s something I wanna talk to you about, so is that cool? It’s sorta important.” 90s Kid was trying his best not to seem nervous, since he knew Dan would pick up on that, so he sat back and did his best to look casual as he fiddled unconsciously with the remote.

“Of course, sweetie! You know you can tell me anything. What’s on your mind?” Dan took 90s Kid’s hand and squeezed it, not only to bolster 90s Kid’s confidence but to comfort him as well.

“Yeah, um, well, the thing is…” 90s Kid looked into Dan’s wide, innocent eyes and the words died in his throat. He couldn’t do it. He felt so cowardly and ashamed of himself, but he just couldn’t bear to ruin their wonderful day together by springing this on Dan so suddenly. “Is it cool if I stay over here tonight?” he blurted out after a few moments of silence. “I know you have a meeting tomorrow morning, but, like, if it’s cool, can I come with you to that? I just…I really wanna see you again tomorrow, dude.”

Dan smiled and nodded at the request. “Of course you can, Kid. You know I love having you around. I think my meetings are usually pretty boring to outsiders, but if you want to come I wouldn’t mind at all.” Dan’s smile grew when he saw how relieved 90s Kid seemed by this answer. He was certain that the teen actually wanted to ask him something else, but he was hesitating for some reason. Dan wasn’t sure why, but he knew that in time 90s Kid would tell him, so he wouldn’t press him for the time being.

“Thanks so much for being cool, dude.” 90s Kid said as he enveloped Dan in a very tight hug. He felt certain that after a good night’s sleep, he would be able to tell Dan in the fresh light of morning. As he hugged Dan, 90s Kid relished how soft and warm his boyfriend was, and without thinking, he leaned down and started nibbling on Dan’s neck.

Dan moaned loudly and clung even tighter to 90s Kid in response. “Ohhh, Kid…what have I done to deserve such a treat?”

“You’ve been the most radical boyfriend a dude could have,” 90s Kid murmured as he lifted Dan into his arms as if he weighed nothing at all. “You wanna, like, go up to your room and make some awesome memories with me?”

“I’ve never wanted anything more,” Dan sighed, his eyes fluttering closed as 90s Kid carried him up the stairs. “Not even Crystal Pepsi or a new episode of _Automan_.”

\-----

**Day -12**

90s Kid held the door open for Dan and bowed his head towards him. “After you, my awesome dude.”

“Ooh, why thank you, sweetie.” Dan said, smiling and curtsying to the teen before he made his way outside. Giggling softly, 90s Kid followed after and slid his hand into his boyfriend’s, where it seemed to fit perfectly. “So, Kid, where would you like to go now? You’re probably hungry after that boring meeting, so I’d love to stop by the restaurant of your choice.” Dan offered.

“That meeting wasn’t boring! It was totally interesting!” 90s Kid exclaimed, drawing a soft chuckle out of Dan. He knew 90s Kid was just humoring him, but he decided to give in and nodded his head.

“Alright, it wasn’t bad, but heading to a place filled with fluffy pancakes drenched in butter and syrup would be better, right?”

“Dude, you’re making me so hungry right now.” 90s Kid moaned, his stomach rumbling as he spoke.

Dan chuckled again and squeezed 90s Kids hand. “Me too, sweetie. Let’s make sure we reach the diner before the lunch hour crowd beats us to it.” The two walked along through the city in contented silence for a moment; more focused on locating a source of sustenance than conversation, although unbeknownst to Dan, 90s Kid had more on his mind than just food. He needed to find a way to discuss his trip with Dan before their time together was over for the day.

“It really did mean a lot to me to have you there with me, sweetie,” Dan told him, flashing a grateful smile to his boyfriend. His Narcotics Anonymous meetings were something that could be stressful to deal with sometimes, especially on days where he had to come to terms with some of his past actions, but having 90s Kid there for moral support meant wonders to Dan, even though he knew they bored the teen out of his skull. “You’ve always been here for me when I need you.”

“I love being here when you need me, Dan, for sure!” 90s Kid told him, a bit too quickly, as he was still trying to figure out how to say what he needed to say. The two got to the diner and 90s Kid sighed in relief as they walked into the warm building, since it was chilly outside that day. The hostess seated them and gave them their menus, and 90s Kid cleared his throat as Dan poured himself a cup of coffee. “So, uh, Dan, did I tell you that Harvey-dude’s doing another tour again?” he blurted out, resisting the urge to put his menu in front of his face.

“Is he?” Dan asked, stirring in several spoonfuls of sugar and cream packets into his coffee. His cravings for sweet things had increased exponentially ever since he’d given up his drug habit. “I’m sure Linkara isn’t too pleased about losing his special someone for the next couple months.” He finished, licking a few remaining sugar crystals from the spoon. 90s Kid watched him for a moment before gulping down some orange juice, attempting to quench his dry throat.

“Um, yeah, Linkara’s totally gonna miss him a lot.” 90s Kid pushed his glass aside and gripped more tightly to the plastic menu in his hands. “But, uh, Harvey-dude might not be so lonely this time cuz he, um, he asked someone to come with him on his tour. Someone who’s...me, Dan.” 90s Kid’s shoulders tensed but he forced himself to keep his gaze locked on Dan. “Harvey-dude wants me to come on this road trip with him for the next couple months. Um...like, w-what do you think about that, man?”

Dan stared back at 90s Kid, not realizing that he was stirring his coffee so hard that drops were starting to fly out of the mug. “Oh! That sounds nice, sweetie. But I think I might not have heard you right just now, since this is a noisy diner and all, because I could’ve sworn I heard you say ‘months’?”

“Um...I did, Dan. It’s gonna be like, two months."

Dan’s lips automatically formed into a smile, the same smile that he always made when he wasn’t sure how to respond to something, and he lifted his mug to his lips to take a sip. “Well, that sounds like a lot of fun, Kid. This’ll be your first big trip, right? I’m sure you’re gonna have the greatest time in the world!”

90s Kid sighed, knowing that Dan was just telling him what he wanted to hear, and reached for his hand across the table. “Dude, please be honest with me,” he begged, rubbing his thumb along Dan’s hand gently. “I don’t wanna go on this trip if it’s gonna make you upset, dude. I’m sure Harvey won’t mind. I’ll do it some other time, or something.”

Dan’s eyes flickered and he put his mug down, starting to let his real emotions come to the surface. He couldn’t deny it, he was thinking of the time when 90s Kid had vanished into the future, which had caused him to suffer from constant sleepless nights and loneliness that plagued him every day. “You really can read me like a book, can’t you?” Dan asked softly, offering him a small but genuine smile this time.

“I like being able to read you, Dan,” 90s Kid admitted. “It makes me totally happy that we can be honest with each other about all sorts of stuff.”

“That makes me happy as well, Kid,” Dan replied, truly meaning it. “I guess I can say the same thing about you, though. I know how excited you are by this offer, and I know that this is a big opportunity for you and Harvey, Kid.”

“Yeah, it…it does make me feel excited. So I’ll be honest too,” 90s Kid continued. “This trip really means a lot to me, Dan. I haven’t really spent a lot of time with Harvey-dude when it’s just him and me, but I really want to.” 90s Kid glanced down, blushing slightly as he admitted this. “Harvey-dude’s a real awesome guy and I wanna know more about him. I wanna watch him sing in all sorts of clubs, and stay up late watching cruddy TV with him, and talk to him about...about all sorts of stuff.”

Dan squeezed the teen’s hand in a comforting manner as he spoke. He knew how much 90s Kid admired Harvey, and how much he wished to be closer to the singer. He wanted that for his boyfriend as well. 90s Kid’s happiness was one of the things Dan thought most about, and he knew this trip would be a great chance for the two to grow closer. “Kid,” Dan finally spoke again, his voice soft but firm. “Even though I’m going to miss you terribly every day that you’re gone, I really hope you do decide to go on this trip. I want you to have fun with Harvey and to visit all sorts of wonderful places with him.”

“You mean it, dude?” 90s Kid asked, his expression lighting up like a Christmas tree.

“Of course I do. I just hope you won’t forget to pick up a phone and ring up your old pal Dan every now and then.” Dan joked, hoping to lighten the mood. He let out a soft breath when 90s Kid wrapped his arms around him and hugged him close to his chest.

“I would never forget about you, Dan.” 90s Kid said, tone deadly serious. “I will call you every day and every night I’m gone to make sure you’re okay, and to tell you how much I miss you and love you, because I could never, ever, ever forget you.”

Tears starting coming to Dan’s eyes as he heard the gravity in 90s Kid’s voice, and he wrapped his arms around his boyfriend until he could push them back. “Thank you, Kid,” he said in a low, quavering voice. “So many people have forgotten me, but…I know you’d never do that. I love you so much.”

“I love you too, Dan.” They pressed their lips together a few times before coming apart again, smiling in a more relaxed way at each other. “Thanks for letting me go on this trip, Dan. I’m super excited about it. Harvey-dude’s one of the most radical dudes ever, and I really want him to like me and have a good time with me and junk.” 90s Kid blushed, looking down at his menu and trying to decide what to order, but a squeeze of his hand from Dan caused him to look back up.

“I know he does like you, Kid, because you’re also one of the most radical dudes ever.” 90s Kid smiled and lifted Dan’s hand to his lips, feeling his stomach loosen up enough to feel hungry again. Once they’d placed their orders and the waitress had left them alone again, Dan’s voice dropped to a whisper.

“Kid? Is it okay if I ask you to stay over again tonight? I…I wanna make more memories with you, if that’s okay.” He said, sounding very shy and vulnerable. 90s Kid pulled Dan close to him again and kissed the top of his head.

“That’s always okay with me, Dan.”

\-----

**Day 1**

Ninja-Style Dancer carried the last of Harvey’s luggage down and stowed it into the trunk before pausing to wipe some sweat from his brow. *I have not experienced a workout like that in some time. Thank you for the opportunity to improve the fortitude of my arms by allowing me to carry what must be your collection of bricks to the car.*

Harvey rolled his eyes and pulled out a five-dollar bill before handing it to the ninja. “If I tip you, will you shut up already?”

Ninja quickly pocketed the money before bowing to the singer and 90s Kid. *May you both have a safe and enjoyable trip* he held up to them before vanishing in a puff of smoke.

“Bye, Ninja-dude!” 90s Kid called out before he was pulled into a hug by Boffo.

 _We’re all going to miss you so very much._ He honked while squeezing 90s Kid happily. 90s Kid giggled and squeezed him back.

“I’ll totally miss you too, Boffo. I promise to, like, buy you some awesome souvenirs along the way, so you’ll have some totally rad stuff to look forward to when I get home!”

Boffo smiled. _Thank you, 90s Kid. I look forward to it._ The clown then turned to Harvey hopefully. _Can I get a goodbye hug as well?_

Harvey shrugged, feeling in a good enough mood to grant this request. “Hey, why not. C’mere, Chuckles.” Harvey groaned a bit as he was squeezed before pulling back. Once Boffo had stepped away, Harvey’s arms were filled with the more welcome body of Linkara.

“Save some for me, Harvey.” The singer chuckled and pulled him closer.

“Don’t worry, you always get the biggest share of me, Kid. Sometimes I don’t know where I end and you begin.”

Linkara kissed him. “As long as you acknowledge that I’m the better half,” he teased, causing Harvey to laugh.

“Eh, I don’t know about that. Hehehey, okay, okay!” Harvey hastily replied when Linkara started poking him. “You are the better half, Kid. I’m just trying to decide which half of you I like better.” He flashed Linkara a wolf-like grin, sliding his hands down to squeeze the man’s rear.

“Harvey! Not here!” Linkara protested, while 90s Kid rolled his eyes.

“Yuck. I’m totally glad to get away from junk like that for a while.”

“You’re not the only one,” Linksano dryly remarked as he cast an unappreciative look in the couple’s direction. “If you two are finished fondling each other in public, I hope you’ll allow me to offer my best wishes for your upcoming journey.” Linksano stuck out his hand for 90s Kid to shake, but gasped softly as he was also pulled into an embrace by the teenager.

“Aww, dude, I’m totally gonna miss you,” 90s Kid assured him. “Don’t, like, go making any awesome goop or gadgets without me here to test ‘em, okay?”

“What was that?” Linkara asked, looking sharply to Linksano.

“H-he’s just joshing, I assure you!” Linksano quickly replied before stepping back and doing his best attempt to look innocent. Linkara rolled his eyes while Boffo giggled, and even Harvey chuckled.

“It’s sure gonna be uneventful without you blowing something up every day, Doc.” He said, offering out his hand to Linksano. Linksano pouted a bit as he shook it.

“It’s not every day that I blow something up...it’s usually only a few times a month...maybe more during one of my better brainstorms, but never more than thrice a week.”

Harvey tuned out Linksano’s speech as he gave Linkara a more satisfactory goodbye kiss, while Dan ran over and hugged 90s Kid tightly. “I’m gonna miss you so much, sweetie. I really hope you have a lot of fun on your vacation.”

90s Kid wrapped his arms around Dan warmly. “I’m gonna miss you too, dude.”

Dan started peppering 90s Kid’s cheeks and lips with kisses. “Promise you’ll call me as soon as you get to the hotel?”

90s Kid panted a bit but managed to reply. “I-I will, Dan.”

“And you’ll be safe in all those big cities? I don’t want you to get lost.”

“I’ll be fine, Dan. Harvey’ll – dude, I can’t breathe – totally help me not get lost.”

“And you’ll eat properly, right? And get at least eight hours of sleep every night? And-”

“Dan!” 90s Kid caught Dan by the shoulders to finally stop his onslaught of affection. “I promise I’ll do all of that stuff. I’m totally gonna be fine, okay? Remember, I’ll call you every day and every night just so you know that I’m, like, still totally fine. But I want you to promise that you’ll do all that eating and sleeping junk too, okay?”

Dan nodded, putting on a shaky smile. “I-I know, Kid, and I promise too.” He managed to stay calm for a moment before pulling the teen in for even more kisses.

“Dan!” 90s Kid cried amidst a sea of giggles and squirms. “I swear, dude, it’s totally going to be okay, hehehehe, so you don’t have to, like, hehehe, worry so much!”

“I know, I know,” Dan kept repeating, even as he continued to attack his boyfriend’s cheeks and lips. “I know, sweetie, I know...I’m just going to miss you so much...” Dan finally stopped when he felt a soft touch on his arm. He looked back into Boffo’s sympathetic face and sighed before finally releasing his boyfriend. “Alright, sweetie, for real now,” he promised. “Be safe and be smart and...and have fun.”

90s Kid enveloped Dan in one last hug and whispered something into his ear that seemed to relax him slightly, before he pulled back and turned to Linkara. “See you later, Linkara.” 90s Kid was about to stick out his hand just as Linksano had done, when he was surprised to feel Linkara’s arms around him.

“I’m gonna miss you, 90s Kid.”

90s Kid felt a bit of heat in his cheeks before he nodded and murmured, “Me too, man.” He gave Linkara a return squeeze, blew a kiss to Dan, and finally climbed into the front seat of Harvey’s car where he could smile and wave to everyone.

Harvey and 90s Kid took one last look at the group, watching as Linksano gave a short wave, as Linkara smiled with true happiness for the two while still fiddling with his hands compulsively, and as Boffo held tightly to Dan’s hand while Dan did his best to keep his smile up until the car was safely out of sight. At last Harvey turned to 90s Kid and slid the key in the ignition.

“Ready to blow this pop stand?”

90s Kid nodded. “Totally, dude. Let’s go!” Harvey honked twice to the team and slowly backed out, driving out of the parking lot and away from the base. Dan gave a sigh and looked down before Boffo squeezed his hand gently.

_Wasn’t there an episode of Manimal you wanted to show me, Dan? And I heard you brought over some cans of Fudgesicle soda for us to try._

Dan looked to Boffo gratefully and nodded. “Indeed I did, my friend. After you.” Linksano followed behind the two while Linkara stood outside for a moment, gazing at the road.

“Have fun, you two.” Linkara knew that Harvey and 90s Kid would be fine, as would he, but he also knew that the empty feeling in his chest wouldn’t feel full again until they returned.


	2. Chapter 2

For the first hour of their trip, 90s Kid occupied himself with looking out the window and pointing out interesting sights, cars, and license plates. When the novelty of that wore off, though, he found himself becoming a bit restless and shifted around in his seat almost constantly. He wasn’t used to sitting still for this long if he wasn’t distracting himself with something. 90s Kid knew it would be hard to draw in a moving vehicle, and he didn’t feel like reading comics right now, so he decided that music was what he needed at the moment.

“Hey, dude, mind if I, like, play some tunes?” 90s Kid asked, already reaching for the radio. Before Harvey could answer, he’d turned it on and was flipping through the stations at lightning speed. “Nope, lame, bogus, ugh, as if, nope, nuh uh,” he muttered as he searched. “Oh, here we go! This song is totally awesome!” 90s Kid turned up the dial to the max and started playing air guitar along with _Spoonman_.

Harvey winced as the loud, aggressive music seemed to explode his eardrums, before swiftly reaching out to smack the dial so it would shut off. “No way, none of that crap. If the radio is on, it’s only gonna play us some real music.”

90s Kid scoffed. “Uh, that was real music! That was totally one of the most awesome songs ever until you shut it off.” He reached for the radio again but Harvey batted his hand away.

“Hey, you know the rules. When you’re driving, you get to choose the radio station. When I’m driving, I get to choose the radio station.”

“But I can’t drive!”

“Say, you catch on fast.”

90s Kid groaned. “Aw, dude, come on! Can’t we at least take turns with this junk?”

Harvey grimaced but eventually gave a grudging nod. “Fine, but not at a level where my ears bleed, capice?”

“Fine, whatever.” 90s Kid turned the radio back up to an acceptable volume and continued to strum along with every chord he heard. When the song ended, he lowered his arms but then gasped when he heard the next song start, _Better Man_. “Oh, dude, this is totally one of my most favorite songs ever! We have to blast this one; it’s the only way to appreciate it!” 90s Kid once again reached for the dial, only to once again be batted away by Harvey.

“What did we just agree to, Junior? We’re taking turns, and now it’s mine.”

“Aww, come on dude, this song is a classic,” 90s Kid whined, turning to Harvey with an unhappy look. “Can’t I just, like, have two turns in a row? Then you totally can have two, I swear.”

Harvey quickly fired back. “I’ll let you have two if you let me have ten after that.”

90s Kid’s jaw dropped. “What? That is totally unfair! Come on, Harvey-dude, I thought you were cool! Don’t be all mean and bogus again, it’s totally not radical! I just wanna hear one song, just one, please please please?” The longer 90s Kid begged, the younger and more annoying his voice sounded.

Harvey ground his teeth as he listened to 90s Kid’s childish whining. That was one thing about car trips with Charlie he didn’t particularly miss, and he’d hoped that 90s Kid would be a little more mature than a boy who wasn’t even a teenager. Why had he decided to bring him along this trip again? They had never spent more than a few hours together alone before, and now he was stuck with him for two whole months? It would be best to make peace and be the adult in this situation, but unfortunately Harvey’s parental skills were a bit rusty.

“Alright, just one more! If it’ll get ya off my back!” Harvey snapped, turning the radio back on again.

There was a long, tense moment before 90s Kid sank back in his seat with a frown. It was hard to enjoy the song now after Harvey had snapped at him like that. This trip was supposed to be fun, but they were barely past the first hour and things were already uncomfortable. Before he knew it, his song was over and Harvey changed it to one of his stations, turning the volume down much lower. 90s Kid dug a comic book out of his backpack and snapped it open, staring at it intently. He wasn’t really reading it but he wanted to find some way to disengage from the world right now.

Harvey tapped his fingers tensely against the steering wheel. Five, then ten, then twenty minutes passed without 90s Kid making a sound or even looking up again. Harvey had thought that he would cool down if he was left alone for a bit, but that didn’t seem to be working. He chanced a glance over at the teen, realized that he was still staring at the same page he had been twenty minutes ago, and sighed. “Say, Junior, want to turn it back to your station?” he asked, extending an olive branch in this tense time.

The reply was fast and short. “No.”

Harvey ground his teeth once again but forced himself to remain calm. “Look, I’ll go back to that switching deal if you agree to keep it down.”

“Not interested. Reading.” 90s Kid made a point to turn the page then and Harvey let out a hiss of frustration.

“Come on, Junior, don’t be like this. I thought I was taking someone who’s almost an adult along on this trip, not a toddler.” Harvey knew that was the wrong thing to say the second it left his mouth and he winced with regret as 90s Kid shot him an angry glare.

“I am not a toddler,” he retorted, the comic crumpling slightly in his hands. “I’m a dude who thought he was gonna be traveling with a nice, cool guy, not a mean old cranky jerk.”

“Hey, watch it with the insults there. You’re on thin ice, mister.” Harvey demanded, a note of warning in his voice.

90s Kid rolled his eyes and slunk down lower in his seat. “Like you haven’t called me that hundreds of times before, jerk. You can’t tell me what do, you’re not my dad.” He muttered.

Something inside Harvey burned and his vision almost went red for a moment. “That does it.” Harvey reached for the radio knob and turned it up. “I now have full control of all music selections, all hotel selections, and all dining selections on this trip. You happy now?”

“That’s totally unfair-”

“I don’t want to hear it!” Harvey shouted. He kept his eyes trained on the road and avoided the death glares and mouthed insults 90s Kid was now sending him, trying to get lost in the songs he usually adored but failing to dismiss the thoughts that now plagued his mind. Even though he was angry over what 90s Kid had said, Harvey also couldn’t help feeling guilty from his words. He had been rather mean and insulting to 90s Kid in the past and the teen had a point in bringing up his hypocrisy. Besides, he was right…Harvey wasn’t 90s Kid’s dad. He didn’t have the right to scold him or punish him or talk to him like a father would.

This realization especially made Harvey’s insides churn and he quickly pulled out a cigarette, hoping to settle his stomach.

Right now, Harvey didn’t want to feel guilty, didn’t want to think about how he wasn’t anyone’s father anymore. He wanted to feel in control of the situation, so he continued on down the road, trying to find their destination and wondering if this idea for a road trip had been a wrong turn for them both.

90s Kid eventually quit trying to protest Harvey’s attitude and sighed, staring out the window as he stewed in silence. Dan would’ve never acted like this if he had been on a car trip with him. Before the days of the teleporter, he and Dan had to make car trips that lasted hours in order to see each other, but they never got upset or yelled along the way. He and Dan always let each other have equal turns with the music or when telling each other stories, and Dan always made sure that they would feel happy and comfortable with what they did to pass the time. He had thought that Harvey would be the same way, but now Harvey was acting more like Linkara instead of his relaxed and casual self. 90s Kid normally loved spending time with Harvey, since he made sure Linkara didn’t get annoyed with him too much, and he had been doing better at not treating him like an idiot or a little kid...

Although maybe 90s Kid had been acting a little childish with the whole radio situation. Harvey was doing all the driving, so it was only fair that he should get to listen to the music he liked some of the time. And maybe 90s Kid had gone a little far with his insults…he honestly wished he hadn’t made that comment about Harvey not being his dad now that he thought back on it.

90s Kid sighed again, not loudly enough to be heard over the music, and continued staring out the window. Maybe going on this trip was a mistake. Maybe Harvey really didn’t like him as much as 90s Kid thought he did. Maybe 90s Kid wasn’t ready to take such a big step with him after all. It took a lot of willpower for the teen to not just use his teleporter to go home to Dan and admit that he had been stupid to even take a chance on this idea.

Eventually, as the sun started to set, Harvey pulled off the highway and into St. Paul, the first stop on his tour. His stomach was already rumbling and he could tell 90s Kid was also hungry by the way he was rubbing his belly, so he decided that dinner would be the best option for them both. Maybe getting some food into him would calm the teenager down enough to start talking again; it also might get Harvey to stop putting his foot into his mouth. When he finally spotted the sign to one of his favorite restaurants, Harvey let out a small smile as he turned into the parking lot.

“This here is one of the city’s finest eateries,” he told 90s Kid, speaking again for the first time in quite a while. “You’re guaranteed to get some first-class grub here, but you also have to dress first-class, so before we go in you have to put on a suit jacket.” Harvey glanced down at 90s Kid’s legs, thankful that he was wearing full-length blue jeans instead of shorts for once, since those would be allowed in the restaurant.

90s Kid was pretty hungry, so he figured even one of Harvey’s stuffy places was better than starvation right now, and he was still so down in the dumps that he merely shrugged at the mention of the suit jacket. “Sure, whatever.” He pulled off his flannel and tossed it into the back seat without further comment.

Harvey sighed, realizing this was his fault but still unwilling to relinquish his control of the situation. “You mind leaving your hat here too?” 90s Kid took it off and tossed it into the back seat as well without much protest, which just made Harvey feel worse, somehow. He almost would’ve preferred 90s Kid complaining or trying to argue with him. Soon he was finished changing, though, and the two walked through the front door together.

The maître D’ lit up when he recognized Harvey and he rushed right over to greet him. “Mr. Finevoice, we are honored to have you dining with us once again!” He said as he shook Harvey’s hand with vigor.

“Hey, it’s great to be back,” Harvey said, smiling at the man and starting to feel comfortable for the first time in a while. “Whenever I play here, I just gotta stop by _La Belle Vie_. Can I get a table for two?”

“Of course, of course,” the man replied as he started to lead them toward a table. “Please follow me and I will personally attend to you and your guest.”

90s Kid couldn’t help looking around curiously as he was led through a maze of tables. It seemed to be a very elegant place, with shiny marble floors, polished mahogany chairs, and several crystal chandeliers. It was the nicest restaurant 90s Kid had ever been in, which made him feel a bit nervous. “Uh, thanks,” he muttered as he took his seat and was handed a menu. 90s Kid flipped through it and felt even more nervous when he saw the price of everything. “Oh, dude, this stuff is mega-expensive,” he said, looking to Harvey with a worried expression. “You’re gonna pay all this for a steak and potatoes? Maybe we should, like, get a burger and fries instead.” Even though 90s Kid wasn’t too thrilled with Harvey right now, he still didn’t want the man paying an arm and a leg for a meal of his.

Harvey shook his head, feeling another lift in his mood as 90s Kid actually started speaking to him again. “Don’t worry about it, Junior. It’s well worth the dough, since I’d rather enjoy a great meal for a price than a crap one on the cheap. Live a little, we’re on vacation.” Harvey worked at being nicer now that he was in his own element, looking around the exquisite establishment and breathing much easier. “Ah, this place brings back memories. I’ve been coming to this place for years; nobody ever did a steak like them. I remember coming here after my gigs with Andy Williams, Tony Bennett, Nat King Cole, the whole gang, and we stayed until they kicked us out of the joint.” Chuckling to himself as he relived old memories from his glory days as a performer, Harvey reached into his jacket for his gold cigarette case and flipped it open. He pulled out his lighter and lit one up, taking a long, leisurely drag.

“Dude, what are you doing?” 90s Kid’s startled voice snapped him out of his thoughts and soon the two were covering their heads as the fire sprinklers rained down on them from above. Harvey really took himself to task as he and the other patrons were soaked; he’d completely forgotten that patrons weren’t allowed to smoke inside places like this nowadays.

“Quick, dude, we gotta get out of here!” 90s Kid instinctively grabbed Harvey’s arm and started pulling him toward the door. People were swarming for the exits as if it were acid spraying down on them and not just a little water, and Harvey would have found the scene amusing if he weren’t too embarrassed to look anyone in the eye at the moment. Finally, the two made it outside and away from the spray of dozens of sprinklers, but it was already too late.

“I’m soaked,” Harvey grumbled, looking down at his tux in annoyance. “Just perfect. Now I gotta find a dry-cleaner’s that’s open at this hour.”

“Uh, dude, what were you thinking?” Harvey looked over to 90s Kid, who seemed less upset about being drenched and more curious at the moment. “You know you can’t, like, smoke inside restaurants and junk, right?”

“Of course I know that. I just, uh...forgot temporarily I guess.”

“Hehehe...” Harvey started to blush when he realized 90s Kid was actually laughing at him.

“Hey, it was an easy mistake,” he tried to rationalize. “Anyone could have done it!”

“Hahahaha I know, but it wasn’t anyone, it was you!” 90s Kid continued to giggle. His mirth eventually proved contagious, and soon Harvey had to look away to hide his own smile.

“Okay, okay, I made a dumb move,” he admitted with a soft chuckle. “I guess I can be a real dodo every now and then. And a real cranky jerk too.” 90s Kid sobered up at these words and opened his mouth to say something, but Harvey hushed him by raising a hand. “Look, Junior, let me say this first. I sometimes forget what it’s like traveling with a kid. You all like your loud, angry music, and you like to get excited about things, and you don’t like being patient. I know all that, and I know that biting your head off the first time I get annoyed is a bad idea. So I just wanna say I’m sorry for what happened earlier, and I’ll try to control my temper if you try and control that noise you call music.”

90s Kid looked shocked for a bit before he slowly said, “Does this mean we can switch off on radio stations again, dude? And, like, restaurants? Cuz I really wanna switch on those.”

Harvey let out another chuckle, his expression softening. “You got yourself a deal. And, um, I know you were right about that thing you said before,” he said slowly, feeling very awkward to even be bringing this up. “About me not being your-”

“Dude, I’m sorry for saying that. All that mean junk, I mean,” 90s Kid quickly clarified. “I was just mad; I didn’t know what I was saying, so let’s, like, forget it, okay?”

Harvey felt more relieved than he expected he would and nodded. “Okay, Junior.”

90s Kid fidgeted happily, feeling better now that Harvey had apologized and that the tense mood had been lifted. 90s Kid could never hold a grudge for long, and usually all he needed was an apology to feel better about things, so he was already excited again about being on tour with the singer. Harvey was still looking at his tux and muttering, which caused 90s Kid to giggle once more. “Look on the bright side, dude. You managed to make that place less boring.”

“Ah, shaddup,” Harvey retorted, but there was good humor in his tone.

“So, uh, you wanna go for burgers after all, dude? Cuz we didn’t get to eat and it looks like that place across the street is open.” Harvey turned to where 90s Kid was pointing to discover a 24-hour diner there that looked warm, as well as an all-night cleaners next to it.

“Y’know what, kiddo, I think I’m gonna take you up on that.” Harvey and 90s Kid looked back into the restaurant and jumped when they saw the owner angrily sifting through the damage and trying to find the people responsible. “Crap! Run like the wind, Junior!” With that, Harvey and 90s Kid flew across the street and through the diner door, hiding their giggling faces behind menus until they were sure the coast was clear.

\-----

**Night 1**

90s Kid tossed in the hotel bed, trying very hard to get comfortable. Harvey had drifted off hours ago, but 90s Kid always had trouble sleeping in beds that weren’t his own. It was no problem when he was at Dan’s, since feeling the man’s warm body pressed against his never failed to relax him, but now that he was on his own, 90s Kid couldn’t figure out how to get comfortable.

He reached his arm under his pillow on instinct and sighed when he remembered that he hadn’t brought Tenderheart Bear on this trip. 90s Kid hadn’t wanted Harvey to notice it and risk being made fun of, so he’d left it at home, and now he was going to suffer because of it. He paused though when he heard a soft ‘thump’ on Harvey’s side of the room.

90s Kid slowly got out of bed and crept over to where the sound came from, reached down to the floor, and held something up into the moonlight. It was a Growlithe plush, to his surprise, one of 90s Kid’s favorite Pokémon. He looked to Harvey’s bed and saw at least five other Pokémon plushies all over the bedspread, the singer sleeping soundly beneath them.

 _“Harvey-dude needs stuff to sleep with too?”_ 90s Kid thought, feeling oddly happy at this realization. Perhaps needing a teddy bear to help you sleep was not as childish as he’d thought. He still wasn’t ready for Harvey to see him in such a position, though, so he slipped back into bed with Growlithe and resolved to wake up early so he could put the plushie back on Harvey’s bed before he woke up and noticed anything was amiss. Hugging the soft toy close to his chest, 90s Kid let out a yawn and finally was able to fall asleep.


	3. Chapter 3

**Night 6**

90s Kid glanced from the time on the radio to the white-knuckled grip Harvey had on the steering wheel uneasily. “Dude, it’s okay, you’re totally gonna make it in time. We have, like, fifteen whole minutes before your show starts. That’s like, forever, man.”

“Stupid lousy traffic,” Harvey continued to mumble under his breath as he swerved in and out of lanes in a reckless manner. “Can’t believe it took us forty minutes to get here from the hotel. I’m gonna miss my set, I just know it.”

“Dude, chill out.” 90s Kid placed a hand on Harvey’s shoulder, but it didn’t seem like much of anything could comfort the singer right now. “Why don’t you, like, try thinking like Linkara? He’d totally know what to do at a time like this…or he’d give an awesome but totally long and also kinda boring speech.”

This finally managed to elicit a laugh from Harvey as he made a sharp turn right. “Now that’s a good one, Junior. Keep cheering me up like that and you’ll get to pick the next three restaurants we visit.”

“Alright!” 90s Kid exclaimed, pumping his fist with excitement as they drove into the parking lot of the concert hall at last. “We are totally getting tacos, because tacos rule!”

Harvey was too busy weaving in between cars to clear up his feelings about tacos, and finally he made another sharp turn into the parking lot of the concert venue. He pulled around to the back and barely remembered to set the parking brake before the two leapt out of the car and raced inside.

“About time you got here, Finevoice!” a man called as he led the two over to a dressing room that bore Harvey’s name on the front.

“Trust me, I already know. I’ll be changed lickety split, don’t you worry.” Once the door was shut, Harvey worked quickly to get into his stage clothes.

“So, uh, do I just stay here while you go and sing?” 90s Kid asked, unsure of what he was going to do on this night.

Harvey turned to him and grinned, throwing open a closet in the corner of the room. “Hmm…ah, here we go!” He whipped out a tux on a hanger. “This should fit you real nice.”

90s Kid groaned. “Dude, do I have to?”

Harvey’s smile became fixed and frightening and there was a manic look in his eyes that made 90s Kid flinch. Then the singer leaned in close to his face.

“I don’t have time to argue about this with you, Junior. I always make sure to have a nice, big happy smile when I go on stage. I also make sure that I’m in a nice, big happy mood when I go on stage, to match my smile. So I think you’re gonna put this suit on so I can finish getting ready, or you’re gonna see just how scary I can be when I don’t feel like smiling on stage. Capice?” 90s Kid stared in shock for a moment before hurrying to change into the tux. Harvey’s smile grew wider. “Atta boy.”

“I hate wearing stuff like this,” 90s Kid grumbled as he looked down at the awkward-feeling clothes he was now clad in. “Why did I have to put this on again?”

Harvey didn’t answer and instead guided him toward a stage-hand, who nodded at 90s Kid. “If you’ll follow me, sir, I’ll show you to your table.”

“My table?” 90s Kid asked in surprise. “You mean I get to see the show out there?”

“That’s right, Junior,” Harvey said, smoothing out the arms on the teen’s suit jacket. “I got you the best seat in the house. If you’d care to be my guest of honor, that is.”

90s Kid’s smile lit up his face and he nodded vigorously. “I’d love to, dude!”

“Then get outta here so I can put on the finishing touches,” Harvey lightly commanded, his blue eyes twinkling with genuine mirth. 90s Kid nodded once again before eagerly following the stagehand to his seat.

90s Kid could almost feel the other patrons looking his way as he was led to a table very close to the stage. The feeling was a strange mixture of humbling, exciting and embarrassing, as though he felt he didn’t quite belong there. Nevertheless, 90s Kid sat down in the seat provided for him and watched as a waiter approached him.

“Can I get you anything to drink, sir? Mr. Finevoice asked me to make sure you receive whatever you like during the performance.”

90s Kid felt another surge of fondness toward the singer as he was handed a menu and looked over it quickly. Soon he was sitting with a soda and some crab cakes, a dish Linkara had often raved about at places like this. 90s Kid found that he liked the crunchy bits of seafood as well, and as he ate, he wondered when Harvey would show up on the stage.

 _“I’ve always wanted to see Harvey sing at an actual club,”_ he thought. _“This is gonna be totally radical.”_

At last, the lights started to dim, save for the spotlight shining down upon the stage. A deep, booming voice suddenly echoed throughout the room, causing 90s Kid to almost choke on a crab cake.

“Ladies and gentlemen, please put your hands together for a very special guest tonight. You know him, you love him, you want to take him home with you: Mr. Harvey Finevoice!”

Several excited cheers and wolf whistles started to fill the audience before a thundering of applause lit up the place. Harvey, beaming a brilliant hundred-watt smile, stepped out from behind the curtains and picked up his microphone.

“Thanks to all the cats and dolls out there for welcoming me back with such open arms,” Harvey purred, his voice growing silky smooth. “I’m thrilled to be here tonight and I hope you enjoy the journey I’m about to take you on.” The band recognized their cue and started playing one of the classics, a tune that happened to be a favorite of Harvey’s. He began to sing, beautifully and warmly, closing his eyes and losing himself in the notes. When he sang like this, Harvey was honestly the one transported on a journey, back to the times when he’d perform with Dino, Sammy, and Old Blue Eyes himself.

90s Kid stared ahead at the stage, his head resting on his arm, listening intently as Harvey sang. It was a song he’d heard him perform at karaoke before, and he usually didn’t listen too closely to the music since it wasn’t his style, but this was a far cry from karaoke. 90s Kid didn’t know if it was due to the much better sound system in the venue, or due to the thrill of actually being at one of Harvey’s shows, but tonight Harvey’s voice was better than ever before. For a long time 90s Kid forgot all about crab cakes and being forced into a tux, because all he could focus on was the beautiful words filling the air around him.

It wasn’t long before Harvey caught sight of 90s Kid’s face in the crowd. The corners of his mouth quirked up as he thought back to the days of yesteryear, when Charlie sat at that very same table. Charlie always watched Harvey perform in awe, always clapped the loudest when the show was over, always said that he was gonna follow in his footsteps and be up on that stage one day too.

Harvey felt an ache in his heart and quickly put the thought from his mind before he was overcome with melancholy. 90s Kid was there for him, and that was more than enough to make him happy. He finished his song with a note like melted chocolate and smiled when the audience exploded into applause, 90s Kid loudest of all. Then Harvey blushed as he felt something soft and lacy land next to his ankle, and tried to brush it out of sight with his foot. Normally he didn’t mind being showered with such souvenirs, but he’d forgotten about the chance of that happening when a teenager was in the audience. Thankfully 90s Kid didn’t seem to have noticed anything.

Harvey continued to sing for the adoring crowd, belting out songs they loved and applauded wildly to. 90s Kid deeply enjoyed listening to his rich voice and wouldn’t have minded if Harvey performed for them all night. Although, if he were being completely honest, he’d admit that he also wished Harvey would sometimes sing a song which was a little more contemporary than those in his usual repertoire. It wasn’t that 90s Kid disliked Sinatra tunes or anything of the sort; he just preferred the melodies from a later decade best. But classic songs were what the audience demanded, and what Harvey loved to perform, so there was really nothing 90s Kid could do about it.

Just as he was receiving his third soda of the night, though, 90s Kid turned to the stage in shock when the beginning notes of a very familiar melody began to play. “No way,” he murmured, eyes locked on Harvey as he mentally asked the singer what was going on. Harvey caught his shocked expression, chuckled, winked at 90s Kid, and finally turned back to the crowd.

“To end my set, I thought I’d try a different number tonight, folks. I hope you enjoy.” With that said, the singer closed his eyes, opened his mouth, and started to sing an especially jazzy version of _Smells Like Teen Spirit_.

The other patrons watched the stage with slightly puzzled expressions while 90s Kid’s jaw continued to rest on the table. When he finally managed to pick it back up, his smile felt wide enough to break his face. It wasn’t the loud, brash rock that 90s Kid was accustomed to with this song, but it still sounded good. Very good, in fact. Not to mention that Harvey had actually bothered to learn the words so he could perform it when he knew 90s Kid would be in the audience. 90s Kid suddenly felt very bad about being so whiny during the first day of the trip and thinking that the trip might’ve been a mistake. Harvey was actually trying to ensure that he’d have a good time, in his own special way, and it meant the world to 90s Kid. He mouthed along with the words until the song was over and led the standing ovation that closed out the night. After the waiter informed him that his tab was taken care of, 90s Kid hurried back to the dressing room to wait for Harvey’s appearance.

90s Kid bounced a bit as he sat on the comfy couch, unable to keep still as he waited. When at last the door opened and Harvey stepped inside, a towel around his neck and a bottle of water in his hand, 90s Kid couldn’t resist bounding over to him. “Duuuude, that was totally the most awesome show I’ve ever seen in my life!” he exclaimed, still bouncing as he spoke, though now from foot to foot. “You sang awesomely, dude, like even better than when you sing at karaoke, and then you totally sang my favorite song ever! That was so rad of you, Harvey-dude! Thank you so much!” Without warning, 90s Kid wrapped his arms around Harvey and pulled him in for a tight hug which would have lasted much longer if it hadn’t been for a quiet “Ahem” from the doorway. 90s Kid turned his head and blushed a bit when he saw a few other singers watching them with amused faces. “Oh, d-dude, sorry,” he muttered, pulling back at once. “I didn’t know you, like, had company and stuff. You, uh, want me to wait in the car ‘til you’re, like, done?”

For some reason, Harvey didn’t seem upset at all by the hug. “Of course not, Junior. The only reason I have company is they could meet you.” He turned to the group behind him and gestured to 90s Kid. “Fellas, this is 90s Kid, one of my roommates. Brought him along to see how I do on tour. 90s Kid, this is Stevie, and that’s Hank, and over there’s Walt,” Harvey introduced while the teen shook their hands, still feeling embarrassed about the previous moment. “Give us a sec, will ya?” The men excused themselves and Harvey smiled at him. “Glad to hear you enjoyed my set, Junior. I was worried I wouldn’t manage to get all those wacky lyrics right, but I think I managed to pull it off.”

“You totally did! It was so amazingly radically awesome! Thanks for making me put on this awful suit, cuz it was totally worth it!”

Harvey pulled 90s Kid into a proper hug this time, thrilled to know how happy his idea had made 90s Kid. “Thanks for being my guest of honor tonight, Junior. You really brought me back to the good old days when I used to sing for…well, for some very important people in my life.”

 _“Now you’re one of those people too.”_ He mentally added.

\-----

**Night 7**

“So, there’s a VIP party for some of the other guys and me, and it’s gonna be a real swell shindig. You wanna come by and mingle?”

90s Kid, who had been lounging in the dressing room after Harvey’s performance and indulging in even more crab cakes, suddenly looked up with interest. “Sure, dude, that sounds cool. I love parties. Will there be games and stuff there?”

Harvey laughed. “Nah, nothin’ like that. It’s just a quiet get-together among old friends, but I’m sure they’d all love to meet ya. They’re the guys you’ve seen wandering the floor of our hotel and chasing chamber maids,” he added with a laugh. “If you say yes, however, you will have to get changed first.”

90s Kid frowned. “But I’m, like, already wearing a suit, dude. You made me put it on before the show started, remember?”

“Yeah, but it’s good to keep people guessing on what you’re gonna wear. You don’t want them to think you’re gettin’ stale.” Harvey reached into the closet for another suit and offered it to the teen, wheedling a bit. “Please? It doesn’t even have a tie.”

90s Kid shifted from one foot to the other again for a bit before crossing his arms. “I keep my hat and shades.”

Harvey sighed. “You drive a hard bargain, Junior, but it’s a deal. Now get changed, we don’t wanna be late!”

\-----

About ten minutes later, Harvey and 90s Kid, each dressed in a very stylish manner, walked out into the now nearly empty club. It was incredible to 90s Kid how large and full of life the place had seemed mere hours ago compared to how dark and empty it was now, as if the building had somehow shrunk in size. The other singers were lounging about a few tables near the stage enjoying cigars, a bottle of champagne, and the company of one friendly waitress, who made sure to refill their glasses whenever they were empty.

“The party can officially start!” Harvey announced as he and 90s Kid joined the group. While the singer reached for a glass of bubbly, 90s Kid sat still and fidgeted, wondering what sort of things happened at a party like this.

“Would you like a glass?” the waitress asked, batting her eyelashes at 90s Kid until he was completely red-faced.

“Uh, n-no thanks, I don’t, um, d-drink,” he sputtered, turning to Harvey for help.

“Kid’s underage, Darlene,” Harvey told her. “Wouldn’t want you getting in trouble.”

“We all know Darlene’s no stranger to trouble,” one of the men replied, shooting a rather lascivious grin toward the waitress.

Harvey rolled his eyes and rested an arm around 90s Kid’s shoulders, guiding him toward some of the less intoxicated singers. “Steer clear of Johnny, Junior,” he murmured softly enough so that only 90s Kid could hear. “He gets a little cuckoo when he’s drinking, you dig?”

90s Kid nodded. Another of the singers, this one sporting a grey mustache to match his hair, turned to him. “So, you having fun traveling with the old man so far?”

“Hey, you’re no spring chicken yourself, Vince,” Harvey retorted, though there was still a large smile on his face. “Junior, this is Vince. Vince, meet 90s Kid. Bringin’ him along to see the sights and sounds of the road.”

90s Kid shook Vince’s hand and nodded in response to his question, feeling uncharacteristically tongue-tied at the moment.

“So, you live with Finevoice, eh? Let me be the first to extend my condolences.” Harvey laughed good naturedly and squeezed 90s Kid’s shoulder. “It’s been forever since you came back on the road, Harvey. That home life makin’ you soft?”

Harvey shook his head. “Nah, I’ve been comfortable, but I can never resist gettin’ away from it all to sing my heart out for long. It’s just nice not to have to do it solo this time.”

Vince turned his attention to 90s Kid again, looking at him in a way that put 90s Kid slightly on edge for some reason. “So, you’re Finevoice’s boy, huh? What do you do? You got a job?”

90s Kid cleared his throat before responding. “Uh, yes, sir! I totally do! I’m the weapons officer.”

Vince raised an eyebrow. “Military man, huh? You do take after Finevoice. Hopefully not in every way though.” Vince then pretended to lower his voice, as if he were sharing a secret. “Did you know he’s been a big skirt chaser in and out of uniform? He broke a lot of hearts in his time.” Vince nudged Harvey in the ribs as he laughed while 90s Kid chuckled weakly along with him.

“Hey now, unlike you turkeys, I’ve actually managed to mature over the years,” Harvey replied, fixing the man with playful glare. “I’ll have you know that I am in a committed relationship and have never been happier in my life.”

“Is that so?” Vince asked before raising his champagne glass. “In that case, let me be the first to raise a toast. To Harvey, and to happiness.”

“Hear hear,” the others replied before downing their glasses. While Darlene went to work refilling, Vince turned back to 90s Kid. “What about you? You taking after your old man and playing the field, or do you already got a ball and chain weighing you down too?”

90s Kid frowned slightly at the expression. “Um, I’m dating someone, if that’s what you mean, but it’s, like, not like I’m wearing a ball and chain, uh, sir. I really like dating Dan, and it’s totally fun, a lot more fun than playing in a field, I think.”

“Dan?” Vince asked, his eyebrow rising slightly, while the others also turned to 90s Kid in confusion. Not noticing anything was amiss, 90s Kid broke out into a wide smile as he pulled out his phone.

“Yeah, sir, Dan is totally the best boyfriend ever. Here’s a picture of us when we went to this awesome pizza place!” 90s Kid proudly displayed an image of himself and Dan, happily hugging in front of the claw machine where he had first caught the Braveheart Lion plush that was cherished so dearly by his boyfriend.

An audible hum of voices rose up within the room and Harvey winced as he realized that what was considered perfectly normal to 90s Kid wouldn’t be considered so to the old-fashioned, more conservative gala. “What kind of a kid are you raising there, Finevoice?” Hank piped up, disgust clear in his tones.

“No wonder he wasn’t interested in a drink,” Darlene said with a roll of her eyes.

“Yeah, what the hell, Finevoice?” Johnny piped up, his words slurred, obviously intoxicated. “I never figured your kid would grow up to be a faggot.”

“Hey! Shut your mouth or I’ll shut it for ya, John!” Harvey roared at him, refusing to let anyone cast any slurs against 90s Kid. The teen was shrinking against Harvey nervously, crumbling under the weight of the disapproval he had never known before.

“Oh come on,” Hank continued, “your wife can’t possibly be okay with that kind of thing, Finevoice.”

Harvey, fed up with everyone in the room, reached for his wallet and whipped it open to show them a picture of Linkara. “Actually, he and I are both more than okay with who Junior dates.”

“Lord have mercy, it’s spreading,” Johnny said, looking very green around the gills as he sloshed more champagne out of his glass. “Run for your lives before we all catch the queer!”

“What did I just say?” Harvey leapt up, steam shooting from his ears, and was about to lunge at Johnny when he was caught around the shoulders by strong, firm hands.

“Harvey, come on, he isn’t worth it,” Vince said, his voice hard but also pleading. “Listen to me; you don’t want to do anything you’ll regret in front of your boy, right?”

Harvey shrugged off Vince’s hands and sighed, casting one last disgusted glare around the tables, before looking to 90s Kid. “Come on, Junior, let’s get out of here. This place isn’t worth our time.”

90s Kid, still looking pale and trembling slightly, kept very close to Harvey’s side as they headed out the front door. Vince tried to call out to them, but Harvey was too mad to hear anything right now. What was most important was getting 90s Kid away from those creeps and making sure he was alright.

After they were safely outside, Harvey lit up a cigarette and took a few long drags to try and calm himself down. 90s Kid was looking down at his shoes, cheeks red and body still shaking, his stomach churning in an unpleasant manner. Harvey turned and looked at him sympathetically.

“You okay?”

“I-I’m cool,” 90s Kid tried to reply.

“I know that, but are you okay?” he asked gently.

90s Kid looked up and slowly nodded, one hand tugging on the sleeve of the other. “Um, yeah, I guess so...I’m, uh, really sorry for embarrassing you in front of your friends, Harvey-dude.”

Harvey put a hand on his shoulder. “Hey, none of that, okay? You didn’t do nothing wrong. I should be the one apologizing for not warning you about that. Some of those guys in there, they come from a different time, where they decide to get angry at stuff they don’t like or don’t understand. But it ain’t right, and they got no excuse for acting like that.” Harvey pulled him into a brief hug. “Don’t ever think that we don’t accept you, Junior, or that this’ll change how we feel about you. You and Crockett are A-okay, and don’t you ever forget that.”

“O-okay, I won’t.” 90s Kid clung a bit tighter than he usually would to Harvey during the hug before he started tugging on the sleeve of his jacket again. “Uh, so like, can we go to the hotel now? I’d like to, uh, change and stuff."

Harvey nodded. “Yeah, that’s a good idea. I’d like to shower away part of this night myself. Come on, let’s get going.” Once they were buckled up in the car and on the road again, 90s Kid pulled out his cell phone and stared at the picture of himself and Dan. He wanted nothing more than to hold the older man in his arms at that moment and forget the rest of the world existed. Hopefully Harvey’s shower would last a while so that 90s Kid could call Dan for a good, long time. He was certain that just hearing Dan’s voice right now would cause him to feel better.

As they drove, Harvey couldn’t help glancing over at 90s Kid and feeling terrible. How could he have been so stupid? He should have known better than to let 90s Kid hang around those guys, especially Johnny. They’d never been so crude and disgusting in the past, although if Harvey was honest with himself, he’d never spent more than about an hour at most with those idiots, or shared many details about his current life, preferring instead to retell stories from the past. Gosh, sometimes Harvey could be a real dunce. He just hoped he could find some way to make it up to 90s Kid.

As they pulled into the parking lot, Harvey remembered that his so-called friends were also staying here, and on their same floor as well. He glanced again at 90s Kid, knowing that he would do anything to keep him from being hurt again, and finally made a decision.

“Say, Junior, most of your stuff is still packed in your overnight bag, right?”

“Uh, I guess so,” 90s Kid replied after thinking about it a moment. “I guess just my toothbrush and the clothes I was wearing earlier today are the only stuff not packed.”

“Good. Just wait here for a minute and I’ll be right back.” Harvey parked but kept the car running and turned the radio to one of the teen’s favorite stations. 90s Kid was a bit puzzled but he leaned back in his seat and waited for Harvey to return, deciding to trust in the older man for the moment. Around fifteen minutes later, Harvey tossed the bags from their room into the trunk, climbed back behind the wheel, and shot out of the parking lot like a rocket.

“Where are we going?” 90s Kid asked, too curious to keep quiet anymore.

“I just finished making arrangements for our new sleeping arrangements,” Harvey replied, flashing 90s Kid a reassuring smile. “In just thirty minutes, we will be checking into the best hotel in town.”

“But I thought you said this hotel was the best hotel in town?”

“It used to be, but after knowing the sort of riff-raff they let into the place, it’s become the bottom of the barrel, Junior. Trust me; you’ll love this new place even more than that rat-trap.”

A short time later, the pair finally arrived at another impressively grand hotel. After entering the lobby, 90s Kid wandered over to the racks of brochures and idly glanced through them while Harvey approached the counter. “Reservation for Finevoice,” he said to the clerk, who started typing on the computer.

A moment later he frowned. “Hmm, I can’t seem to find Finevoice on here.”

“Oh come on,” Harvey groaned, running a hand down his face. “I just made these reservations half an hour ago. Please don’t tell me you lost the frigging things, not tonight of all nights.”

“Sir, please calm down and let me look again,” the man said, desperate to quell what looked to be an oncoming storm. 90s Kid, bored with the brochures, wondered over to the counter just then.

“Did you get the room?”

“Just give me a sec, Junior,” Harvey sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose with one hand. He was afraid a headache was coming on and he really wanted to prevent that from happening.

“Oh, here we are,” the clerk said as the appropriate information popped up at last. “I’m terribly sorry about the mix-up, sir.”

“It’s fine, as long as it’s settled.” Harvey replied.

“Now, we happen to have a family discount going on right now, so would you like me to use it for you and your son?” The clerk looked between the two eagerly. 90s Kid’s mouth popped open to reply, but he fell silent when he felt Harvey’s hand settle on his shoulder.

“Yeah, that’d be great. My son and I would really appreciate it.” Harvey glanced to 90s Kid, a soft smile in place, and squeezed his shoulder affectionately. 90s Kid had to look down so Harvey couldn’t see the color rising in his face again and the tears starting to prick his eyes.

“Here you are,” the clerk said, handing over two keycards. “Is there anything else I can do for you two?”

“I think we’ll be just fine. Come on, Junior.”

“C-coming, Dad.” It was Harvey’s turn to look away then, so that the clerk wouldn’t notice how choked up he seemed.

The clerk opened the door to their room, showing off a spacious hotel suite with two double beds and a large TV, which made 90s Kid cheer up a little. “Wow, Dad, you totally went all out with this stuff!” He moved toward the bed, pressing his hand down on the mattress a few times, before he jumped up on it and started bouncing.

“Careful you don’t break that, son, or else you’re sleeping in the car.” Harvey replied good-naturedly, also starting to feel a bit better. “Yeah, I thought you’d like this room, son,” Harvey continued, enjoying their game more than he’d ever anticipated. “I wanted to show you something nice for your first big trip. I know you only care about the television and Internet access and all that jazz, but this place is also full of pretty paintings and gorgeous antiques."

“Then you fit right in!”

“Hey, you ain’t too old to put over my knee, Junior, so don’t push it.” Harvey replied with a chuckle.

The clerk smiled politely at their conversation before showing them how to use the telephone and presenting them with menus for room service and other such amenities. “It’s nice to see a father and a son who are so close,” he told them, causing both 90s Kid and Harvey to blush a bit and smile at each other. “Have a good evening, gentlemen, and please do not hesitate to call the front desk if there is anything we can do to make your stay more enjoyable.” The clerk took his leave then, and 90s Kid and Harvey found themselves still smiling at one another.

“So...I hope you didn’t mind me calling you that,” Harvey said, honestly a bit worried that that might be the case despite evidence to the contrary. “I just got the idea from back at the club and I sorta went with it, though I know I shoulda asked you first and all.”

90s Kid quickly shook his head. “Nah, Harvey-dude, it’s all good. I...I told you that I kinda like it when you say junk like that.” Harvey had to look down for a second to control his emotions, and 90s Kid used that moment to wipe his eyes behind his shades, each afraid they had gone too far that time.

“Okay, Junior, I’m hitting the showers. See ya later.” As Harvey walked into the bathroom to try and erase the unpleasant memories of that night under a stream of steaming water, 90s Kid dialed a familiar number and clutched the phone tightly to his ear, trying to keep both his hands and his voice from trembling.

“Dan? Oh, dude...you don’t know how good it is to hear your voice right now…Tell me everything you did today, every totally good thing, and then…then tell me you love me, okay? Because I love you so much…so totally much…”

\-----

**Day 11**

After finishing his lunch of re-purposed steak tartare, which had pretty much become a microwaved hamburger served on rye bread, 90s Kid rode the elevator back to his room and pulled out his keycard. Harvey was still out at the rehearsal for tomorrow’s show and the teen had the room to himself for a change, so 90s Kid had decided to make use of it. He headed over to the one large trunk he’d brought along on this road trip and carefully pulled out one of his most prized possessions: his guitar. 90s Kid gently rested the case atop his bed before undoing the clasps and pulling out the slender, smooth instrument. 90s Kid wasn’t the greatest at keeping his things neat and tidy, but his guitar always managed to look as if had just been purchased a day ago.

“Looking sweet,” he murmured as he stroked the guitar’s neck and settled into a chair, since comfort was very important when playing. After he was settled, 90s Kid began to tune his guitar, humming a familiar melody as he worked.

Once the instrument was tuned, 90s Kid always did a brief sound check with _Smells Like Teen Spirit_ , grinning to himself when he found that the notes were coming out exactly how he wanted them to. He thought for a moment about what to play and caught sight of the watch around his wrist that bore Tenderheart’s face. Thinking about the man who had given him that gift, he started strumming the introductory notes to _Take On Me_ and was quickly lost in the music for a time. 90s Kid had learned to play Dan’s favorite song by ear and surprised him one night a few months ago by holding a special performance for him in his room. 90s Kid would always play guitar for Dan, even though he felt too timid to show the others his music skills. On that night, Dan had been so delighted and touched by his gift that 90s Kid ended up playing the song ten times in a row until his fingers were too tired to go on. 90s Kid released a contented sigh as he pulled that night from his memory to mentally relive.

Unbeknownst to him, Harvey was riding up the elevator at that very moment. He arrived at his floor, dug out his keycard, and opened the door to the room without 90s Kid hearing a sound.

“Hey, Junior. I know you’re surprised to see me back so soon but we ended up finishing early...” Harvey trailed off when he spotted 90s Kid sitting with a beautiful looking guitar in his lap. “Wowie, where in the world did you find that?”

“Oh, um, I, like, bought it,” 90s Kid said, suddenly feeling incredibly self-conscious. He hadn’t intended for Harvey to see him with the instrument and he quickly scrambled for an idea of what to do next.

“You bought it?” Harvey looked surprised as he walked closer to the teen. “The Kid must be paying you more than I thought.”

“Yeah. Um, I won’t bother you with it, though,” 90s Kid said, reaching quickly toward the bed for the case. “I’ll just put it away.”

“Wait, Junior, you don’t have to do that.” Sensing he was a bit uncomfortable, Harvey pulled off his tie and took off his shoes before sitting down in the chair beside 90s Kid and offering him a warm smile. “If you saved up enough dough to buy something this nice, it must mean it’s real important to you. Music has always been important to me, Junior, so I know how you feel. Did I ever tell you about the time I shelled out a hundred big ones just for a single record? Oh, did the Kid come down on me hard for that.” Harvey chuckled, hoping his attitude would help 90s Kid relax.

90s Kid giggled in spite of himself, since he did tend to feel better whenever Harvey reassured him, though his embarrassment was still curling inside his stomach. “It took me a totally long time to save up for this one, dude. I, like, saved all the money Linkara gave me for a few months until I was able to get it. But I dunno why I did, cuz I’m totally not very good.”

“Hey, come on now. I’m sure you’re great at it. Anybody can make music, Junior, I don’t care what anyone says. While we don’t always got the same taste, I can tell you love music as much as I do.”

90s Kid nodded, cheeks tinting red. “Totally. I always loved music, especially back in the 90s. Whenever I had the radio on, it totally made me not feel as lonely and stuff.” 90s Kid turned away suddenly, obviously not meaning to have said that. Harvey let it pass without comment; though he gave 90s Kid’s shoulder a sympathetic squeeze.

“So how long have you been playing that thing, Junior?”

“Uh, I guess a couple years,” 90s Kid admitted as he thought back to when he first got the guitar. “I didn’t want anyone to know at first, so I always blasted my radio when I practiced so you’d hear that instead of me.”

“That makes sense,” Harvey muttered as he thought back to the many times he’d returned home to find music blaring from the teen’s room. “So you saved up enough money for the guitar and lessons, huh? Maybe I should start asking for your chores and see if the Kid’ll give me a raise.”

90s Kid giggled. “Nah, I didn’t pay for lessons, just a few music books, so really Linkara didn’t give me that much money, dude.”

Harvey’s eyebrows shot up at this news. “Do you mean to tell me you taught yourself to play this thing, Junior? No fooling?”

“Oh, uh, yeah I guess so,” 90s Kid said, fidgeting again in embarrassment when he realized Harvey as staring fondly at him. “But I can’t play a lot of songs. Mostly stuff like _Happy Birthday_ and _Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star_...and also some songs that I really like,” he admitted, fiddling with one of the tuners a bit. “Like some Nirvana stuff and _Take On Me_ – that’s Dan’s favorite song.”

“Yeah, I’m familiar with the tune,” Harvey dryly replied, recalling the afternoon Dan had spent singing it while he and 90s Kid baked cupcakes in the kitchen. “But at any rate, Junior, that’s damn impressive work. You managed to teach yourself how to play songs you love without anyone’s help. Do you know how many people wish they had the talent or the ability to do that? You should feel real proud of yourself.” When 90s Kid looked down happily, Harvey was pleased to see a more confident smile on his face. “So then, would you mind playing a tune for me?”

“W-what?” 90s Kid looked astonished and embarrassed as Harvey asked him such a thing. “Dude, I know you really like music and stuff, but I only know my kinda music, not the kind of old stuff – I mean classic stuff you like,” he quickly amended. “Plus I’m totally not as good at music stuff as you are, Harvey-dude.”

Harvey shook his head. “Nonsense. You’re gonna do fine, and I’m sure any song you like is gonna sound great coming from you, Junior. C’mon, play me something.”

90s Kid paused as he thought of what to play first, then decided to play _Come As You Are_ , something that he had practiced a lot and could play flawlessly. Harvey looked impressed at 90s Kid’s ability, coming so far as to admit to himself that the song he was sick of hearing when blasting through 90s Kid’s stereo actually sounded good when it was being played on his acoustic.

“Say, that’s pretty damn good, Junior! You might get me hooked on that song yet."

“Really? You liked it?” 90s Kid couldn’t help beaming from the compliment, his cheeks flushed and rosy as he soaked in the singer’s praise. “Thanks, man.”

“You got any other numbers in your repertoire?” Harvey inquired.

“Nah, not really,” 90s Kid admitted as he scratched the back of his head. “I mean, I can play other stuff, but I’m only really good at this song. When I play for Dan, I miss tons of notes; he’s just too nice to say so.”

“Oh, so Crockett gets a private concert but not me?” Harvey teased, though he genuinely did want to build up the teen’s confidence. “Okay, so how about you play and I sing? I bet we could put on a show for the others that would knock their socks off. Even if you did miss a note here or there, I’d be able to swoop in and enchant them with these golden pipes. What do you say?”

Harvey’s expression drooped a bit when 90s Kid shook his head. “I’m not, like, good enough for that, Harvey-dude. I’d totally cube it and everyone would laugh at me, I just know it.”

“They wouldn’t laugh at ya, Junior. You’re my boy, aren’t you? Why wouldn’t you have the same talent that I got?”

90s Kid felt several butterflies of happiness in his stomach when Harvey referred to him as ‘his boy’, but even that wasn’t enough to give him the confidence he needed to play in front of more than a couple people. “But dude, I don’t even know songs that you’d be able to sing, and you totally don’t know mine.”

Harvey shrugged carelessly. “I pick up on stuff quick. If you can learn to play by ear, I can remember what words I gotta sing. Besides, there’s gotta be some songs we have in common! What about _My Way_ and _Summer Wind_ and _Fly Me To the Moon_?”

90s Kid stared blankly at him. “I don’t know any of those songs, dude.”

Harvey’s eyebrows climbed into his hairline. “What? Everybody knows those! What about _Unforgettable_ or _The Way You Look Tonight_ , or...you got no idea what I’m talking about, do ya?” 90s Kid shook his head and Harvey sighed. “I really gotta play you cats some of my records sometime. But anyway, I’m sure we can come up with something. C’mon, talent like ours can’t just stay hidden, Junior.”

“Um, well, maybe I could play for them...like, later, when I’m better. I just can’t do it now, Harvey-dude. I’m sorry.” 90s Kid looked down again, feeling the weight of the guitar press down into his legs. He hated disappointing people, especially Harvey.

Harvey sat back in his chair, tapping his fingers together as he tried to think of what else to say to 90s Kid. He didn’t want to push the teen, so he knew he had to be careful with his encouragement. “Did I ever tell you about how I learned to sing?” he asked after a few moments. 90s Kid shook his head and seemed curious, so Harvey continued. “When I was a real little tyke, I went to church every Sunday with my ma, and my favorite part was listening to the heavenly voices of the choir. They filled the whole room with beautiful music and I always dreamed that one day I’d be up there with them. I told my ma about it and she, being the angel of a woman that she was, scraped together enough money for me to take lessons. Every day after school I’d go to Mr. O’Reilly’s shop and sing my heart out. It was rough going, and I got laughed at by the other kids at times, but that didn’t matter. The only thing that mattered was that I was doing something I loved. Then, one cold winter day, I took my spot alongside the other members of the choir in my beautiful pearly white robes, and I sang so beautifully that I brought my old ma to tears. From that moment on, no matter what anyone said, no matter if they laughed or called me names, I didn’t care. Singing made me happy and that’s all there was to it.” Harvey looked over at 90s Kid then and smiled softly. “So keep doing what makes you happy, Junior. No one’s gonna laugh at you. If anyone even tries, they’ll have me to answer to.”

90s Kid wriggled happily in his seat as he listened to Harvey’s encouragement. Dan always encouraged him to do what made him happy, but now Harvey was also saying that, and promising that he wouldn’t let anyone make fun of him for what he enjoyed. Knowing that he had Harvey on his side made 90s Kid think twice about maybe playing for an actual audience, but he still doubted he ever would. “I won’t let them stop me, Harvey. Thanks, dude.”

Harvey nodded and patted his arm again. “Don’t mention it. So, you feel like playing me one more?”

90s Kid nodded and tried to steady his nerves before he began to play _Under The Bridge_ , while Harvey relaxed and listened to the notes filling the air. Even though 90s Kid made a few errors, Harvey couldn’t contain his pride over the fact that his boy really did have musical talent.

90s Kid grimaced every time his fingers slipped and he played the wrong note, but he soon realized that instead of staring at his hands and frowning at his mistakes, Harvey was bopping his head along with the song, his eyes closed, his expression peaceful. He really was enjoying listening to 90s Kid play. Even though this type of music was far from his favorite, it was making Harvey happy because it came from his own two hands. 90s Kid almost radiated joy upon realizing this and he managed to finish the song without making any further mistakes.

Once he was finished, 90s Kid’s eyes widened as Harvey brought his hands together in quiet applause. “Bravo, Junior. Really wonderful playing there. Thanks so much for indulging me with this little concert.”

“Thanks, Harvey-dude, it was totally no biggie.” 90s Kid said, blushing again as he reached for his guitar case. “But I think I’m outta encores for now.”

Harvey laughed and nodded. “I understand, Junior. You gotta give those fingers a rest after all if you want to keep playing. So, to thank you for the show, why don’t I order us some hot fudge sundaes from room service?”

90s Kid’s face lit up. “With whipped cream and marshmallows and sprinkles?”

“Of course,” Harvey replied as he stood up to walk over to the room phone. “Just be sure not to tell Mom about this.” He said with a wink and a smile to the teen.

90s Kid giggled and eagerly nodded in agreement. “My lips are sealed, dude!”


	4. Chapter 4

**Day 18**

Harvey felt more uncomfortable than he had in a long time as he squeezed himself into the booth of a restaurant whose name he couldn’t pronounce. He was used to dealing with French or Italian names, but Danish was a little beyond him. However, the name of the restaurant was the least unnerving thing about it. No, that would be the theme of the place: zombies. Apparently zombies were a hip new thing that teens and young adults loved, according to their waitress, who wore clothes that were ripped and covered in ‘blood stains’, and sported an axe sticking out of her head. The whole restaurant was themed around the creatures of the undead it seemed. The walls were black and covered in gruesome words and drawings from ‘survivors’ of zombie attacks, there was furniture and other necessary supplies piled up near the doors and windows, and the menu was filled with zombifed jokes, like Spaghetti and Eyeballs, to name the least offensive.

“I’m starting to regret letting you have a say in which restaurants we dine at.” Harvey muttered.

“Come on, dude, this place is hardcore!” 90s Kid exclaimed, thrilled with getting to eat in such an awesome restaurant.

A sudden blast of thrash metal from a speaker hanging just over Harvey’s head caused the singer to jump almost a foot in the air. “Gah! Jeez Louise, what is that noise?”

“Uh, music?” 90s Kid replied with a roll of his eyes and a scoff.

“There is no way that is music. Now where did I leave those earplugs again?” Harvey quickly started searching through his pockets.

90s Kid rolled his eyes and merely walked toward the arcade games while Harvey finally found the earplugs and jammed them in his ears. He caught up with 90s Kid and noted with dismay that the video games there all seemed violent as well. “C’mon, Harvey-dude, playing this one will totally help you relax and stuff!” 90s Kid told him before digging some quarters out of his pocket and sliding them into the slots.

A gun was shoved into Harvey’s hands and he surmised that he was playing a gory shooting game, which made him glad that he hadn’t eaten yet that day. 90s Kid got into position and Harvey did as well, and though the realistic graphics made him cringe, his real-life experience with shooting still caused him to get a decent score – yet one which paled in comparison to 90s Kid’s expert aim.

“That’s some good shootin’, Junior. But let’s stick to the paper targets we already use, okay?”

90s Kid giggled and selected his initials for the top spot for the high score. “Dude, all that shooting made me hungry! You wanna sit down and eat? It’s quieter now back where the tables are.”

“It is?” Harvey cautiously took out his earplugs and sighed with relief at what he heard. The thrash metal was thankfully gone, replaced with a more recently released pop song of some kind, but Harvey didn’t care. Anything was better than that chaotic mess which had been playing before it. “Alright, Junior, I think I worked up enough of an appetite.”

“Awesome.” After squeezing back into their booth, Harvey and 90s Kid ordered their lunch and relaxed. Harvey didn’t have another show for a few days, so he could use this time to see more of the sights with the teen. They had already visited the Cathedral of St. Paul, the Como Park Zoo, the Willis Tower, and the Shedd Aquarium during their trip, and now that they were in the Big Apple for a week, Harvey was almost overwhelmed with all the places he wanted to show 90s Kid. They’d already seen a show on Broadway, walked through Times Square, visited Radio City Music Hall, Central Park, the Empire State Building, and the Statue of Liberty, but there was so much more of New York left to explore. Harvey wished they had time to see it all, but he’d had to make do with the time he had, and accepted that it was over after today.

“Remind me to get another card for the camera,” he told 90s Kid after their waitress dropped off their drinks, a Coke and a Bloody George, which was actually just Merlot. “Heh, that reminds me of the days when we used to have to buy film.”

“Uh huh,” 90s Kid said, too busy drawing something on his placemat to even acknowledge that his drink had arrived. Harvey squinted and leaned over the table to get a better look at his picture.

“Is that...Lady Liberty wielding a Tommy gun?”

“Chaa,” 90s Kid said with a giggle. “Doesn’t she look awesome?”

“I’m thrilled to see you were so inspired by our visit there yesterday.” Harvey replied dryly as he took a sip of his wine.

90s Kid slid some crayons over to Harvey’s side of the booth. “C’mon, dude, you draw something.”

Harvey stared at the childish implements with an odd sense of nerves. “Junior, I can’t draw. You’re the one with the sense for art, even if the term is used loosely sometimes.”

90s Kid gave him a look. “Hey, if you think I can play music, then I totally think you can draw. Give it a try…pops.”

Harvey chuckled in spite of himself and picked up some of the crayons. He remembered how he used to do placemat drawings with Charlie whenever they stopped at kid-friendly restaurants and felt somehow closer to 90s Kid as they scribbled all over their placemats.

“Alright, I’ve got your meals right here – hey, that’s pretty cool!” the waitress said when she saw 90s Kid’s drawing. “Lady Liberty looks pretty badass with that gun!”

90s Kid grinned. “I know, right? It’s like, making a good thing better!”

Harvey rolled his eyes at the antics of teenagers these days and watched as the waitress picked up their drawings. “Hey, if you guys sign these, I can put them up on the wall in our break room if you want! We only hang up the best customer drawings and yours totally fit the bill!”

“What, even mine?” Harvey looked at the waitress in disbelief. “Can you even tell what it is?”

“Sure,” she said as she reached up to adjust her axe. “It’s a bear standing in front of a...church? At the beach?”

“It’s an Irish Setter in front of a roller coaster,” Harvey told her, feeling more embarrassed by the minute. “At Coney Island. A Coney Dog. Get it?”

“Oh, I totally get it!” the waitress said with a laugh. “You have to let me hang this up in the break room now, it’s so cute! Everyone’s going to love it!”

“Well, I never can turn down the request of a dame.” Harvey quickly scribbled his signature on the bottom of the placemat. “Here you are, dollface.”

“Thanks!” The waitress took the paper back and scrutinized the signature for a moment. “Harvey Finevoice...oh! I know who you are! Oh wow, I can’t believe you’re really here in this restaurant!”

“Aww shucks, I’m no big deal.” Harvey said, doing his best to feign modesty while loving every minute of being recognized.

“No, you so are!” she insisted as she offered her order pad to him. “Can I please have your autograph for real?”

“Heh. Finevoice, you still got it.” Harvey thought as he accepted her pad. Even though he loved Linkara with all his heart, he still liked it when pretty young things recognized him. “I think I can manage that.” Harvey deftly pulled his favorite fountain pen from his pocket and poised it over the paper. “Now, who am I making this out to, babydoll?”

“To Agnes! She’s my grandmother and your biggest fan!”

90s Kid burst out laughing before clapping his hands over his mouth to stifle his mirth. Harvey sighed dejectedly and made a quick, half-hearted scribble. “Yeah, sure, give her my best,” he mumbled, handing the pad back to the waitress before he started picking at his dinner. “Junior… shaddup.”

90s Kid took a sip of his Coke to get himself under control. “Sorry about laughing, dude. It was just sorta funny. But I did totally like your dog drawing.”

Harvey shrugged, still looking as though his ego was deflating. “Yeah, I guess it was alright. Probably shoulda added a gun or two.”

“Yeah, that would’ve been awesome! Guns make everything better!” Though this statement was true, 90s Kid soon realized that it wasn’t quite the thing to pump Harvey’s spirits back up. “Hey, uh, so what do you wanna do after this, Harvey-dude? You let me pick out this place, so we can do whatever you want next!”

“I dunno, Junior. I’m getting a little tired in my old age. Maybe I should just go back to the hotel to lie down.”

“Aw, don’t be like that. Didn’t you say New York had awesome shopping and junk?”

“New York has awesome everything, Junior.” Harvey said before taking a bite of his meatloaf.

“Well then we should totally do that,” 90s Kid insisted as he wolfed down his burger and chili fries. “You love shopping, dude, it always cheers you up.”

“I suppose...” Harvey jumped as a siren suddenly went off and red lights started to flash overhead. “What in the-”

“Look out, everyone!” a voice crackled through a loudspeaker. “It’s a zombie attack!” At once, several undead creatures appeared from the back of the restaurant, hissing and snarling and shooting people with water pistols filled with red-colored water.

“Oh for Pete’s sake!” Harvey cried out, quickly ducking under the booth to avoid being shot. “That’s it, I’m outta here! Get me a doggie bag, Junior, and meet me in the car pronto!”

“Dude, wait!” 90s Kid called out, but it was too late. Harvey was already making a run for the door. “Whoa, he can totally move for an old dude.” 90s Kid murmured before he was doused with ‘blood’ by a busboy.

\-----

Fifteen minutes later, an annoyed Harvey was trying to navigate his way through New York City traffic. “Stupid cars. Get off the road if you don’t know how to drive!” he snapped, cutting someone off.

“I totally am sorry about the restaurant,” 90s Kid meekly apologized, Harvey’s half-eaten food sitting in a paper container on his lap. “I promise I’ll pick a more radical place for you next time, Harvey.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Harvey muttered before quickly hitting the breaks. “Hey! Don’t you know how to signal?!”

“Dude, you gotta chill out,” 90s Kid said, lightly touching Harvey’s arm to try and calm him. “Come on, let’s go shopping. There’s tons of stores, like, all around us. It’ll totally make you feel better.”

“Junior, I don’t think there’s one shop in the world that will make me feel better right now.” 90s Kid sighed and was about to slump down in his seat when off in the distance he spotted a very familiar and very large figure.

“Dude, that thing looks just like Pikachu!” Harvey’s eyes immediately cut to where 90s Kid was pointing and 90s Kid was forced to cling to his seat when the car suddenly swerved. “Dude! I know you’re excited, but keep the car on four wheels, okay?”

Harvey didn’t even seem to hear the teen’s pleas as he searched with determination for a parking spot. “Oh, Junior, you have no idea the legends I’ve heard about this place. The Pokémon Center in New York is one spot I’ve always dreamed of visiting. Now it’s my time!”

90s Kid felt better as he saw the smile light up Harvey’s face, though there was something about the manic glint in his eyes that also made him nervous. However, he knew that if there was anything that could cheer Harvey up, it was Pokémon, and he was curious as well to see just what was inside the enormous shop. “Well then, let’s go, dude!”

Harvey rushed to slide the car into park and undid his seatbelt before hurrying out onto the asphalt, 90s Kid quickly following suit. When the doors to the Center slid open, Harvey looked as if he had just discovered the Promised Land. “Oh, Lord...it’s more beautiful than I ever imagined…” he whispered, crossing himself reverently for a moment before dashing inside. “Dibs on that Sylveon plush!”

“That’s cool, dude. I’m not into unmanly stuff like Sylveon anyway,” 90s Kid called out after him, even though his eyes were instantly drawn to the shelf of Teddiursas, Panchams, and Cubchoos a few feet away. Thankfully, Harvey was so far gone in his newfound shopping bliss that he failed to notice as 90s Kid quickly purchased one of each of the cubs, along with a Ponyta for good measure, ran out to the car, stashed them in his trunk next to his guitar case, and hurried back into the store within a span of five minutes.

Harvey was much too busy instead filling a shopping cart he’d procured with every plushie, figurine, and statue that caught his eye. In no time at all, the contents of his cart were so close to spilling out that 90s Kid was enlisted to walk alongside it and make certain nothing fell out and onto the floor. “Wow, dude, you totally found a lot of stuff to get,” 90s Kid said as Harvey stopped to compare two Froakie plushies. “Dude, are you sure you have enough room for all of this?”

“The Kid’s always got room at the base thanks to that magic book of his,” Harvey answered, setting one of the frog starters down before gently placing the other atop the massive pile in his cart. “I can ask him to make a whole new room just for my collectibles. Two rooms, even. I’m sure he won’t mind.”

“Uh, sure, whatever you say, man.” 90s Kid didn’t want to burst Harvey’s bubble, since he finally seemed cheerful again, but he strongly suspected that Linkara would not be jumping for joy at the prospect of creating yet another room in the apartment to house plushies. “So like, isn’t this all gonna be totally expensive too, dude? I thought Linkara kinda asked you to be careful on this trip.” 90s Kid added, knowing that he himself had just blown a decent chunk of his spending cash on the plushies he’d just bought.

“Ah, the Kid’ll get over it, he always does. Besides, I’m a grown man, ain’t I? I’m out there every night earning this money; I’ll spend it how I want to. Oooh, that rack of trading cards has got my name on it! Junior, go get another cart!”

90s Kid resigned himself to following Harvey’s orders and complied, but when he caught sight of the clock on the wall, he felt a start of panic within him. “Oh, dude, I didn’t realize it was so late. Don’t we have to be checked in at that special hotel room your friends got you for one night only by six?”

“Relax, Junior, we still got an hour!” Harvey said, piling decks of cards and booster packs into the cart before tossing in a few soundtrack CDs as well.

“But you said this place was really strict and will totally give our room away if we don’t show up, right?” 90s Kid asked with worry in his voice. “I really think we’re cutting it close, y’know what I mean?” But Harvey didn’t seem to be hearing him as he replied to the teen’s concerns by gushing about his favorite Pokémon episodes as he selected some DVD box sets of the anime.

“Now censorship, that’s a tricky issue. I’m all for the idea of common decency and not exposing kids to things they don’t need to be seeing, right?”

“Uh huh.”

“And I feel it isn’t a problem to cut out some of the more violent things, like guns or weapons, which might scare the little tykes.”

“Uh huh.”

“Plus things that are likely to physically hurt kids are fine to be removed from episodes, like that issue with the flashing lights that gave the poor things seizures.”

“Uh huh.”

“But removing an episode from the airwaves simply because a cat is dressed in a dame’s bathing suit with a gag chest – I just can’t stand behind that.”

“Uh hu-wait, what?”

Harvey grinned as 90s Kid’s expression turned to utter bewilderment and slight curiosity. “Don’t worry, Junior, I got a special copy of that one back home. I’ll let you borrow it if you’re interested.”

While 90s Kid tried to determine if he was indeed interested in watching this, Harvey’s eyes landed on the large Raichu clock hanging over the store’s entrance and he paled. “I-it’s 5:55? Already? Oh crap. Junior, we’re late! Help me get these carts to the front so we can check out pronto!”

“I told you it was getting late!” 90s Kid repeated as they hurried toward the registers.

“I know, but I thought we had plenty of time,” Harvey answered, scrambling to pull out his wallet and credit cards. “How did it slip by so quickly?”

“Probably cuz you spent half an hour talking about why Misty was more awesome than Dawn and May combined.” 90s Kid muttered.

“I heard that. And you know it’s true, Junior.” 

“Dude, I watch it for the awesome battles and Pokémon attacks, not for all that romance junk you and Ninja-dude are always arguing about.” 90s Kid mumbled as he aided Harvey in carrying his shopping bags out to the car. 90s Kid sat on the trunk to make it close while the rest of the items were crammed into the backseat.

Harvey tried to peel out of the parking lot but groaned as several cars insisted on taking their turn before him. “Yeah, don’t bother to give me right of way or anything, ya freakin’ jerks!”

“I tried to warn you, dude!”

“Shaddup, Junior, I’m tryin’ to drive! This is gonna be tight, so hang on!”

“Whoa!” 90s Kid clung to the seat once again as Harvey spun his tires and raced in the direction of the hotel.

“Come on, come on, outta my way!” Harvey grunted through clenched teeth. “I gotta get there in time!”

90s Kid’s stomach leapt into his throat as the car bumped and jostled. “Harvey-dude, seriously, chill out!”

“Oh, I’m chilled, Junior. I’m calm. I’m cool as a cucumber.” Harvey murmured, sounding anything but as he swerved once again, barely missing a cement truck. “I’m also getting to this hotel on time! I will not lose this reservation, I will not, I WILL NOT!”

Half an hour later, after they’d lost their reservation and Harvey had spent a decent amount of time chewing out the front desk clerk before being asked to leave by some unfriendly security guards, the singer sat in his car nibbling on his cold meatloaf and sighing. “I’m sorry, Junior,” he said, casting apologetic eyes on the teen. “I guess I got carried away back in that store. I never thought we’d lose our room, but that dumb mook of a clerk said they’re all booked up for the next week.”

“It’s okay, dude,” 90s Kid said, patting Harvey’s arm and smiling in a comforting way at him. “I don’t care if we can’t stay at this fancy-shmancy place tonight. I’m just, like, glad you finally calmed down.”

“Yeah, I guess I did lose my marbles for a bit there, but I’m happy to say I have collected them all again and tightened the drawstring on the bag, so from now on they ain’t going nowhere.” 90s Kid giggled at the analogy, even though he didn’t totally get it, having never played with marbles himself.

“So, what are we gonna do now, Harvey?”

Harvey finished his dinner, wiped his hands with his handkerchief, and started the car once again. “What we are going to do, Junior, is find a new hotel in which to stay. A bigger, better, more glamorous place than this dump.” Harvey cast a scornful glance at the building before pulling out onto the road and driving away. “New York is full of hotels, Junior, so we have plenty of options to choose from. Don’t worry one bit, because we are going to sleep like kings tonight.”

An exhausting hour later, Harvey drove into the parking lot of a Motel 6, turned off the engine, and started to bang his head on the steering wheel. “This. Can. Not. Be. Happening. To. Me.”

90s Kid reached out to rub Harvey’s back as the singer let his now pounding head rest against the wheel. “Aw, c’mon, dude, these places aren’t so bad! Look, see, they’ve got a pool and cable and even an arcade!”

“Not helping, Junior.” Harvey’s muffled voice came out. “Let’s just get this over with.”

90s Kid got out of the car and nearly had to drag Harvey over to the door. After pushing it open, Harvey groaned at the sight of cracked wallpaper, various stains on the walls, buzzing signs and broken clocks, not to mention the middle-aged woman with blotchy makeup and an obvious wig making eyes at him behind the counter.

90s Kid decided he’d better deal with this so Harvey didn’t have a stroke and walked up to her. “Uh, hi. Do you guys, like, have any rooms for tonight?”

“Plenty of room here, angel pie. You look like you two have had quite a day. Who’s that there behind you?”

“Oh, um, that’s my Dad. Sorry he’s kinda quiet; he’s been driving a lot.” 90s Kid hoped using the affectionate moniker would help a little bit.

“Your Daddy? Ooh, he’s a dreamboat,” She crooned, causing Harvey to give an ungentlemanly shudder. “Smoking or non-smoking, Daddy?”

“Smoking, please.” Harvey said stiffly, knowing that he’d need all of his remaining cigarettes to get him through this night.

“Sure thing, honey, let me get that right for you,” The woman made of show of bending over to retrieve some things behind the counter, wiggling her backside in such a way that Harvey started to feel seasick, before she popped back up with a few items in hand. “Here you go, darlin’,” she said, handing two key cards to 90s Kid, “and here’s an ice bucket for you, and the TV guide. Now, the ice machine tends to go on the fritz every now and then, so if it acts up give it a good kick,” she informed the teen. “The TV also acts up, so you should call me if your picture isn’t working. And you,” she said, looking suddenly to Harvey and batting her large fake eyelashes, “should call me if you start feeling lonely, sugar lump.”

Harvey repressed another shudder and laid a hand on 90s Kid’s shoulder. “Come on, son. We’ve disturbed the nice lady long enough. Let’s get our things.”

“I’m only a phone call away!” she called out as they departed, blowing a disturbingly wet kiss after them.

“That is the exact opposite of comforting,” Harvey muttered as he grabbed his and 90s Kid’s bags from the stuffed trunk and managed to close it once more. “Come on, Junior, before she comes out to offer us a personal tour of the place.”

The two quickly found their room and went inside, Harvey making certain to lock and chain the door behind him, while 90s Kid collapsed on his bed. “Ahh, this is cool,” he sighed, feeling very comfortable here after their busy day of sightseeing. “Ooh, and look! If I put a quarter in this spot, the bed’s gonna give me a massage! That’s awesome!”

Harvey, looking dismayed, pulled out his cigarettes and lighter before scowling at the Sylveon plushie peeking out innocently at him from one of his bags. “This is all your fault. Curse your irresistible cuteness.”

“Aww, come on, man,” 90s Kid said, sitting up to peer at the singer. “This isn’t so bad. And like, after the totally weird day we had, doesn’t it kind of make sense for it to end like this?”

“No, it woulda made sense to be staying at the Four Seasons where I’d be able to relax after such a weird day!” Harvey groaned, lighting up a cigarette. He gazed down with disdain at the bed he was on. It was lumpy and the sheets were like sandpaper compared to the fine linens he was accustomed to, and they even had cigarette burn holes in them. This displeased him greatly since even though he was a smoker, he was always careful and never burned a hole in anything.

“Well, I think this room is awesome! It’s much better than all those stuffy places you always pick, Harvey-dude.” 90s Kid stood and moved to inspect the bathroom.

“I need a drink and a shower.” Harvey muttered, reaching for his flask and taking a swig.

“Uh, shower’s a no-go, dude,” 90s Kid called from within. “No pressure.”

“Great, just great.” Harvey sighed and took another swig before stubbing out his cigarette and closing his eyes. “Thankfully I don’t have a gig tomorrow or I’d really be losing it. First thing in the morning, we’re gettin’ the hell outta Dodge and driving straight to the next stop on the tour. I’ve had just about enough of New York anyway.”

90s Kid shrugged and picked up the remote before lying back down on his bed. “That’s cool. I wouldn’t mind seeing some other places and stuff. But...” he hesitated and glanced at Harvey. “I guess it would be awesome if we maybe came back one day to see that Coney Island place you were talking about.”

Harvey opened his eyes, looking surprised. “Really?”

90s Kid nodded and started to flip through the channels. “You said it had a roller coaster and awesome hot dogs, right? Then it sounds like a rad place to hang at.”

“You’re right about that, Junior,” Harvey said, smiling once more as he recalled past memories of visiting the place. “Okay, I think a future visit can be arranged. Maybe we’ll even take the Kid and Crockett with us. We’ll definitely stay in a four-star hotel as well, that’s for sure.”

“That would be totally awesome!” 90s Kid cheerfully replied, causing Harvey to chuckle again. 90s Kid’s positivity sure could be infectious at times. “Oh cool, a zombie movie!” 90s Kid sat up, watching the TV eagerly while Harvey groaned and moved his pillow over his head. He did not want to see or hear anything associated with zombies for a very long time.

\-----

**Day 19**

Harvey sighed in utter contentment as he soaked in the luxuriously large bathtub of the finest hotel Philadelphia had to offer. Perfumed bubbles filled the air, a bottle of the finest scotch available rested in an ice bucket beside the tub, and a tray containing buttered lobster and truffles was settled in precisely the perfect position over Harvey’s chest. “This...this is living,” he moaned as he pressed the button for the Jacuzzi feature with his foot. Moments later, even more moans could be heard wafting out of the bathroom as the singer’s body was lovingly assaulted by several soothing jet sprays.

90s Kid sat on his bed with the fourth Harry Potter book in his hands, looking around wearily at the large room with its fancy furniture and elaborate fixtures. Harvey had raced in here and almost immediately started tearing off his clothes so he could slip into a nice bathrobe and order room service, and half of what he’d ordered hadn’t even arrived yet.

The two had been planning to visit the Liberty Bell, the Declaration of Independence, and the Franklin Institute, among other places Philly had to offer, but Harvey had decided that he first needed a day to decompress after their ordeal in New York, so the teen was stuck in the room for now. Fancy places always made 90s Kid feel weird, they just weren’t him. He thought that the last hotel had been amazing, with its zombie movies, vending machines, and an arcade that let him play video games until midnight, but Harvey had definitely not agreed.

There was a sharp knock on the door and an attendant stepped inside.

“I have your fresh towels, sir.”

“Leave them on the bed, please!” Harvey called out in a relaxed tone, still enjoying the jets.

“Harvey-dude, are you sure this is okay? Linkara’s gonna have a cow when he sees the bill for this stuff, dude.”

“Ah, c’mon, Junior, we’re on vacation! Live a little! Besides, I’m not going that far overboard.”

90s Kid swallowed and looked around again. “Yeah, I guess so...”

Another attendant came into the room right after the first one left. “Toast points and caviar?”

“Oh, come on, man!” 90s Kid yelled, to which Harvey laughed giddily in response. The teen groaned and put his head in his hands. This was going to be a very long day.

\-----

**Night 26**

Harvey looked up from his newspaper to the ringing phone beside his bed. “I got it. Hello?”

“Hey, Harvey, it’s me.”

“Hey, Kid,” Harvey said, straightening up as his mood suddenly brightened. “I haven’t heard from you in a while. What’s up? Miss me enough to consider me teleporting back for an evening rendezvous?” he asked, tone growing seductive.

“As fun as that sounds, I actually have plans. Editing tonight.”

“You’re no fun.” Harvey pouted, earning a chuckle from the younger man.

“Anyway, I-oh wait, there’s someone at the door.” After a moment of muffled conversation, Harvey was surprised to hear what sounded like yelling coming from Linkara’s end of the phone.

“Kid, you still there?” he asked, worriedly. “You alright?”

“Yeah, I’m here and I’m fine,” Linkara replied, sounding very annoyed. “I just had to yell at this idiot delivery guy. He was trying to deliver about ten packages to me, even though I kept telling him that I didn’t order anything from New York.”

“New York...um, heh heh, well, Kid, I have a bit of a funny story for you,” Harvey said, trying to sound casual all of a sudden. “You see, uh, when Junior and I were visiting that great city, we happened to stumble upon an amazingly unbelievable shop – and I ain’t kidding when I say it’s unbelievable, Kid. You see, this place was no ordinary store: it was a genuine Pokémon Center! Can you believe it? Junior and I actually stumbled upon a Pokémon Center!”

“Oh, I can believe it,” Linkara replied, his tone guarded and now suspicious. “And, pray tell, did you buy some things at this store, Harvey?”

“Heh, heh, well, now that you mention it...I guess I did.”

“And just how many things did you buy at that store, Harvey?” Linkara asked, his tone growing icier by the moment.

Harvey rubbed the back of his head and grimaced sheepishly. “Just a token assortment of things I needed for my collection, Kid. You know how I’ve wanted to get those X and Y plushies for a while now, not to mention some other gizmos that caught my eye.”

“Ten boxes worth of gizmos, I see. Just how much did this little shopping spree cost you, Harvey?”

“Say, Kid, y’know, I’ve been thinking!” Harvey interjected, trying desperately to change the subject. “All those plushies have really been cramping your style when you share my bed with me, right? And I’m sure they don’t enjoy it in that tiny, cramped closet I got, so maybe you could whip out that magic spell book of yours and, y’know...”

“And what, Harvey?!” Linkara snapped, barely concealing rage now.

“And maybe... make another tiny little room for me to keep all this stuff in? Y’know, a little collectible room that everyone could walk into and enjoy! Wouldn’t that make the whole place seem more lively, Kid, not to mention worth the five-hundred bucks I shelled out for the stuff?” Harvey held the phone away from his ear as his question was responded to, though Linkara’s voice was still loud and clear to anyone in the room.

“HOW COULD YOU BE SO IRRESPONSIBLE, HARVEY? YOU KNOW BETTER THAN TO BLOW THAT MUCH CASH ON A BUNCH OF USELESS JUNK! AND THEN YOU HAVE THE NERVE TO ASK ME TO IGNORE HOW MUCH MONEY YOU’VE WASTED SO I CAN MAKE EXTRA ROOM FOR ALL THAT CRAP? ARE YOU KIDDING ME, HARVEY?!”

“Hey, come on, Kid, you’re being a little harsh, don’t you think? I mean, I don’t call all your comics and Cybermats crap…” Harvey was trying to figure out how to argue his case but his mind didn’t seem to be spinning too well at the moment, and his voice was growing weaker with every word.

“That’s because I don’t spend hundreds of dollars on my junk and then expect you to take care of it!” Linkara snapped. He’d calmed down, but still sounded very angry and disappointed. “I thought 90s Kid was the only one on this trip who needed to do some growing up, but apparently I was wrong.”

“Kid, please, hear me out-”

“Harvey, I don’t want to hear it.” Linkara sighed. “I’m just going to go. I’ll talk to you later.”

Harvey winced at the dial tone suddenly buzzing in his ear, and he lowered the phone gloomily. “That coulda gone better.”

90s Kid, who’d been sitting on the bed and bore witness to the whole scene, grimaced sympathetically. “Been there, dude. It sucks when Linkara yells and stuff. I would totally make you an extra room if I could.”

Harvey gave a small smile. “Thanks, Junior. I’m sure the Kid’ll calm down eventually. We got some time left before we gotta head back home, so he’ll probably not be as cuckoo by then.”

90s Kid nodded, watching as Harvey flopped down and closed his eyes to relax himself. “Hey, dude, can I ask you something?”

“What’s on your mind, Junior?” Harvey asked, eyes still closed.

“Why do you like Pokémon so much? I mean, you like it more than anybody else I’ve ever seen, and that’s kinda weird cuz you’re old – I mean, like, from the past and all!” 90s Kid hastily amended, since he still thought Harvey was cool despite his age.

Harvey opened his eyes and didn’t seem bothered at all by 90s Kid’s slip of the tongue. He rolled over onto his back and put his hands behind his head as he reminisced. “You remember the day I first showed up at your pad, Junior?”

“Yeah. You looked really rough then, man.”

Harvey nodded. “I was. That night, when I was still feeling low, the thing the Kid gave me to calm down was a Pokémon game. Pokémon Diamond. It was... jeez, it was incredible. To come from such a long time in the past into this incredible future and have the height of technology in the palm of my hand really blew my mind...but it was more than that, Junior. It made me feel like I might have a reason to stick around in this time.”

90s Kid sat down on the edge of Harvey’s bed, taking in everything the older man said. “Huh. I never, like, thought about it like that. I mean, I came from a different time too, but video games and Pokémon were around in the 90s, so it wasn’t, like a really weird change to me. I guess it’s like that time I went to the future, since all the stuff there was super high-tech and weird. But it didn’t make me want to stick around in that time at all.” he admitted with a shudder as he recalled his time spent in the 2090s.

“Yeah, that was a rough time for us all.” Harvey said softly, since the memory of that incident still gave him bad dreams every now and then.

Sensing he was feeling down again, 90s Kid scooted closer to the singer and placed a hand on his arm. “Uh, so like, what else do you like about Pokémon? My favorite part is getting to catch all the awesome Pokémon and training ‘em until they can totally kick butt! Winning Gym badges with my radical team is totally fun!” Harvey couldn’t help smiling, since 90s Kid’s positivity was hard to resist.

“This might be an old fuddy-duddy answer, but I like the adventure of the games best,” Harvey told him, stretching his legs a bit and looking up at the ceiling. “I love the thought of getting to visit all those different places and meet all those different people, and doing it with some of your best pals. It made me feel better when I was playing it, and it made me wish I could go on a real adventure with all those cuddly critters that join you along the way.”

90s Kid grinned. “Like how we’re going on an adventure now, Harvey-dude?”

Harvey chuckled. “Exactly, Junior. Living with you and the other cats has been an adventure from the start, and that’s why I wanted to take you along here, so that I could show you new stuff you haven’t seen. I want you to see it all while you’re young, so you can come back here years from now and tell stories to the people who are close to you like I do.” Harvey sighed wistfully. “You wanna know a secret, Junior?” 90s Kid turned to him curiously. “When I play those games, I’ve never used my real name.”

“Me neither!” 90s Kid enthusiastically replied. “I always name my guy after an awesome comic book hero, like Youngblood or Bloodgun! Cuz it’d be totally hardcore if those dudes, like, went to beat Team Rocket with their awesome guns and muscles! Oh, and their Pokémon too, of course.”

Harvey chuckled, shifting a bit on the bed as he rested his arms behind his head. “I can get that, Junior. A cat can’t help living vicariously through those little sprites. You like pretending your Trainer is a superhero, and I like pretending he’s...”

90s Kid looked to Harvey curiously when he trailed off. “Pretending he’s who, dude?”

Harvey closed his eyes and turned his head, almost whispering now. “Pretending he’s Charlie. That’s the name I always use for my Trainer. That way, I can imagine Charlie’s the one going on all these adventures, seeing all those far out sights, meeting new people...having the adventure I always wanted to see him have.”

90s Kid felt a lump form in his throat and he started to blink back tears. Hearing Harvey talk about his son like this always made him feel so sad, and a bit guilty as well. “I...I’m sorry,” he said, looking down as his fingers played with the bedspread. “I shouldn’t have asked you that. I didn’t mean to make you think about that, Harvey.”

90s Kid made to stand up, but he stopped at Harvey’s gentle command. “Don’t go, Junior.” Harvey moved his head back, showing red-rimmed eyes and a small smile. “You didn’t do anything wrong. I actually sorta like telling you this. It kinda makes me feel happy inside.”

90s Kid didn’t understand how Harvey, who still seemed to be rubbing tears from his eyes, could be feeling happy now, but he nodded and remained seated. “So you think he... you think Charlie woulda been a good Trainer, Harvey?”

“Oh, Junior, he woulda been the best,” Harvey said with a chuckle. “He’s so much more patient than me, and smarter too. He’d figure out all sorts of strategies for winning a battle and saving the world in no time flat. I don’t think even I coulda beaten him if he got serious about his team. Sorry to say, neither could you, Junior.”

“I’d still totally give a battle with him my best shot!” 90s Kid declared, glad to see that Harvey was laughing once more.

“I know you would’ve. He woulda really loved these games if he had gotten the chance. I’m glad you like playing ‘em too. While the Kid loves seems to love ‘em just as much, he tends to get a little coconuts when I go overboard with my love for them, so it’s nice having someone on my side for a change.” The two shared a laugh and 90s Kid nodded.

“Yeah, they’re totally fun, Harvey-dude. I really like that you name your Trainer that.”

Harvey smiled. “Thanks, kiddo.”

90s Kid still felt weird and a bit guilty at bringing Charlie up, and he decided to take a chance. “Harvey-dude, can I ask you something?”

“Shoot.”

90s Kid hesitated. “How does talking about this help you feel better, dude? Cuz if that sorta thing happened to me, I don’t think I’d wanna talk about it.”

Harvey sighed, looking up at the ceiling again. “For a long time, I didn’t. I didn’t wanna think about it, let alone talk about it. It hurt too much then. But one day, I opened up about it to the Kid, and it felt good not to have it all trapped up inside anymore. It still hurts, every day, but it’s easier now. You’re making it easier.”

90s Kid turned to him, startled. “M-me? Why?”

Harvey turned to him and smiled, though his eyes were still red. “Because you remind me so much of him that I can’t believe it sometimes.”

“Oh.” 90s Kid didn’t really know how to respond to that. His insides writhed a bit with joy at the knowledge that Harvey could find peace and comfort when he was around the teen, though he continued to feel guilty as well. Not for bringing up Charlie but for feeling as if he were somehow... taking his place. But no, that couldn’t be true, and 90s Kid mentally scolded himself the second that thought popped into his mind. Charlie was an irreplaceable person to Harvey. No matter how much they joked about being ‘father’ and ‘son’ on this trip, there was no way he could ever come close to filling that void in the singer’s heart.

“Penny for your thoughts, Junior?” 90s Kid snapped out of his wonderings and danced his fingers along the cotton comforter.

“Oh, uh, just thinking about dinner. I’m getting kinda hungry, dude.”

“Ah. Of course.” Harvey could tell he’d been focused on something else but he decided to drop the issue for now. “Well, it is getting close to supper time, so why don’t we get ready?”

90s Kid nodded and scampered off into the bathroom, giving Harvey a chance to pull out his handkerchief and wipe his eyes for good. “What am I doing, getting all mushy like that,” he muttered as he straightened his hair and pulled on his jacket and tie. “I shouldn’t be doing that to Junior. He’s still a kid with his own life...he doesn’t want to hear about how much he’s similar to someone who’s long gone. Get it together, Finevoice.”

Once the two were fully dressed and heading down the hallway toward the elevator, a silence fell over them that wasn’t usual, since Harvey and 90s Kid were both veritable chatterboxes. Harvey worried that the heavy tone of their earlier conversation had sucked dry the normal light-hearted atmosphere of their excursions and struggled to find a way to correct this. Then, 90s Kid turned to Harvey with a wide smile, and the singer was reassured instantly.

“So, like, who do you think would win in a fight: Zubat or Pidgey?”

“Pidgey for sure.”

“What? No way, dude. Zubat’s got fangs! Those things are hardcore fighting enhancements!”


	5. Chapter 5

**Day 33**

Harvey gave a short yawn and rolled his shoulders as he tried to get comfortable behind the wheel. It was early enough in the morning that pale shades of pink and orange were coloring the sky, and there were very few other cars on the road, which should have made things easier for the singer. Unfortunately, he had slept at an odd angle on his hotel room bed the previous night and was now suffering from soreness in his neck that caused him to wince whenever he tried to turn his head. Harvey sighed and tried to ignore this problem as he turned his attention to the teenager who was happily munching a bagel covered in cream cheese and grape jelly beside him.

“I’m surprised to see you alert this early, Junior,” Harvey gently teased.

90s Kid smiled back at him. “After talking to Dan last night, I totally fell asleep early and had these awesome dreams about fighting an army of mutants with a flaming sword! So now I’m, like, super rested and ready to get to...uh...wherever we’re going to!” 90s Kid took another bite of his bagel before noticing that Harvey kept rubbing at the side of his neck. “You okay, dude?”

“I’m just dandy,” Harvey replied before a pothole caused him to visibly wince and suck in a breath.

“I don’t think you’re okay.” 90s Kid lowered his breakfast and looked to the older man in concern. “Does your neck, like, hurt or something?”

“I just slept on it funny. It’s no big deal.” Harvey tried to brush off. Another few feet of potholes caused him to mutter some things which would be a big deal if heard in pleasant company, though, and 90s Kid’s concern grew.

“You sure you don’t wanna, like, stop and get an ice pack for your neck or something, man?”

“Nah, it’s fine,” Harvey continued to insist, feeling a bit stubborn about the whole thing. “Besides, I want to make some progress before we stop for lunch.”

“Okay, dude,” 90s Kid conceded, leaning back in his seat. “I just wish there was something I could do to help.” Harvey pondered these words for a moment before slowly pulling the car over to the side of the road. 90s Kid blinked in surprise. “What’s wrong, dude? Why’d we stop?”

“Because I think I found a way for you to help me, Junior. How’d you like to take over driving duties for the rest of the morning?”

90s Kid looked as if Harvey had just suggested he attempt to fly by jumping off a building. “Are you crazy, Harvey-dude? I can’t drive. I don’t even have a license or any of that junk!” Aside from lacking the proper legal necessities, 90s Kid was also missing the confidence that he could actually perform such a task, but he was more hesitant to mention that to the always confident singer.

“Hey, c’mon, you don’t gotta have a license to learn how to drive, Junior. My ma taught me how to drive without one at fifteen.” 90s Kid squirmed a bit, still struggling with his lack of ability, but also feeling the level of Harvey’s coolness factor raise in his mind. “Besides, the roads are clear, and it’s perfect driving weather. I’d love to see how you handle your first time behind the wheel.”

“Well, uh, I’ve kinda done it before, dude.” 90s Kid scratched awkwardly at his arm as he remembered Linkara’s sole attempt to teach him several months ago. It had ended with Linkara tumbling out of the passenger seat and kissing the pavement while declaring that he would never get into a car with 90s Kid again, so the teen wasn’t too confident this wouldn’t end up the same way.

Seemingly reading 90s Kid’s thoughts, Harvey merely chuckled in an unconcerned manner. “Oh, I know what you’re talking about, but today will be different, Junior, since the Kid don’t have the same kind of patience that I got. I know you can do it, so why don’t you just slide over here.” Harvey insisted, undoing his seatbelt in a way that settled matters. “Come on, show me what you got.”

90s Kid swallowed hard and unclicked his own seatbelt, trading seats with Harvey and gripping the steering wheel. He had to admit it was an intoxicating feeling to be doing this, and it gave him a pleasant sensation of adulthood. “So, uh, what do I do? How does it work?” he asked softly, voice quavering.

“Just put your hands on the wheel like that, at ten and two,” Harvey gently reminded him. “Good. Now, keep your foot on the brake – you remember which pedal’s the brake, right?” 90s Kid nodded and placed his hand on the gearshift, listening carefully as Harvey explained what all of them were for. It was almost like remembering the buttons on a video game, something that 90s Kid was an expert at, and Harvey’s calm, confident voice was causing the teen to believe more than ever before that he might just be able to do this.

“Now, give a quick check to your mirrors, to make sure there aren’t any cars coming, make sure your seatbelt’s buckled, and let’s go.” Harvey smiled as 90s Kid hesitantly glanced all around him before tightening his grip on the wheel. He was about to move his foot off the brake, but instead 90s Kid yanked the key from the ignition and pulled his hands away as if he’d been burned.

“I-I can’t do it.” 90s Kid stammered, his whole body flooding with fear.

Harvey frowned a little before putting on an easy smile. “Junior, I thought you were one of the bravest cats I know,” he complimented, trying to settle his nerves. “You rush into battle and shoot giant weapons all the time, but a little driving has got your boots shaking?”

“Th-that’s different, dude,” 90s Kid said, his whole face paling as he thought back to his last attempt with Linkara. “Driving is, like, so much harder than blasting alien monsters away!” Harvey couldn’t help chuckling a little, which made 90s Kid blush slightly. “I-I think you should just give up on me, dude. I’m not good at this stuff.”

“Hey, what kind of father gives up on his son that easily?” Harvey said with a wink. Since he and 90s Kid had been referring to each other like that throughout the trip, the terms were starting to slip out without them even thinking about it. “I know you’ve got a good head on your shoulders, Junior, and when you focus you can do anything.”

“You really...think that about me?” 90s Kid asked a bit shyly.

Harvey nodded and patted his shoulder fondly. “Course I do. Now come on, Junior, give this a try. I’ll be right here in case you need anything. Besides, I’ve always wanted to teach my boy how to drive and this might be my only chance-”

As soon as the words left Harvey’s mouth, he felt a plummeting sensation in his stomach which promptly shut him up. He’d never meant to let such thoughts out from the dark recesses of his mind where they dwelt, but now he’d slipped up. Had he really said such a thing to 90s Kid? How could he have been so careless? This could really freak out the teen and Harvey wouldn’t blame him if the bond they’d been building recently shattered completely. Not to mention his own personal shields which held back his emotions regarding Charlie had taken a hit as well, but Harvey didn’t want to dwell on that right now. He lit up a cigarette, taking several long puffs of it, and forced away the feelings that were starting to rise up inside him, slowly regaining control of himself.

“Junior, I’m sorry. I don’t know what I was saying – I guess I didn’t sleep as well as I imagined last night,” he began slowly, not daring to look at 90s Kid yet. “We don’t have to do this if you don’t want to...” Harvey trailed off when he heard the engine turn over. Moments later the car was vibrating, the radio chirping away with morning news, while the heater flooded the vehicle with warm air. “Junior?” Harvey turned to 90s Kid and took in his suddenly determined expression.

“I’m ready now...Dad.”

Relief flooded through Harvey’s veins at that response, though he also felt stirrings of confusion. Had what he just said so carelessly helped 90s Kid in some way? Part of him wanted to believe that it had, but the other half still tried to keep those hopes buried just in case. Then he realized that 90s Kid was looking to him for further instructions, so he halted that line of thinking. For now.

“Okay, just make sure to look to see nobody’s coming, and then take your foot off the brake. Now gently hit the gas-whoa!” Harvey was slightly propelled backwards as the car jerked forward, sending them down the road in a way that made his heart pound.

“Sorry, dude, I just got excited,” 90s Kid explained, easing up a bit. He couldn’t believe he was really doing this, nor how amazing it felt. Not even playing the racing games at the arcade could have prepared him for the real deal. He couldn’t wait to show off his skills to Dan when he got home; maybe he’d even get to drive his car for a while if he asked nicely.

Harvey was also smiling, now that his stomach had caught up with his body again. “You’re doin’ fine, Junior. Okay, we need to get into the other lane, so click that thing down, and look behind you to make sure it’s safe...” 90s Kid threw a glance over his shoulder and obeyed Harvey’s command, sailing across the road before clicking the blinker off. He was about to ask how he did when Harvey clapped him on the shoulder. “Smooth as silk. That’s my boy.”

“Thanks, Dad.” 90s Kid felt his chest fill with warmth whenever he heard Harvey call him that. He knew it was all just a game but it still made his cheeks glow whenever he imagined him and Harvey actually being father and son. 90s Kid knew it was wrong to imagine that when Harvey already had a son he loved more than anything, so he tried to keep his happiness about those moments hidden so that Harvey wouldn’t get weirded out by him.

Fortunately, Harvey only seemed to be very proud at this moment, watching with an approving smile as 90s Kid smoothly drove down an off-ramp, merged into a small patch of traffic with only a few glances of panic to him, and yielded better than most people who’d been driving for years. His questions to Harvey started lessening and soon 90s Kid was driving along quietly and making his own decisions about the road. Harvey always watched him carefully but he wasn’t needed as much now. This knowledge made him extraordinarily happy and slightly sad at the same time.

“How is your neck feeling, man?” 90s Kid turned to Harvey after stopping at a red light. Compared to just a few hours ago, he seemed much more relaxed behind the wheel.

“I’ve been so busy watching you that I haven’t been bothered by it for a while now,” Harvey admitted as he adjusted the radio. “I knew having you take over was just the ticket.”

“And hey, now that I’m driving, I totally get to control the tunes now, right?” 90s Kid asked happily as he thought back to the conversation from the beginning of their trip. Harvey sighed and pulled his hand back.

“I gotta be fair, so I guess you do, Junior. Just promise me you won’t destroy my eardrums with that noise you love listening to?”

“For sure,” 90s Kid said as he switched through the stations. “Oh duuuude, you’ll love this one!”

Harvey grimaced and pulled out another cigarette as something that someone must have classified as music swept through the car, but a moment later he relaxed and smiled softly as he watched 90s Kid confidently maneuver around a semi-truck. “You’re a good boy, Junior,” he said, too softly for 90s Kid to hear, although by the way 90s Kid smiled afterwards, the words had to have come through loud and clear.

Eventually, 90s Kid noticed that they were approaching the next city on their tour, and he felt oddly disappointed at how the drive was close to being over. He searched along the street for the hotel they were headed to and calmly slid into a parking space, turned the ignition off, and leaned back in his seat. For a minute it looked as though he couldn’t believe what he’d just done, and then he turned to see Harvey’s expression, one bursting with pride and happiness, before he was pulled into a tight hug.

“That was incredible, Junior. You sure you haven’t been sneaking out with my car before this trip?” he joked, to which 90s Kid giggled, wrapping his arms around Harvey as he tingled with joy.

“No way, Harvey-dude. I wouldn’t do that… but maybe I will now. That was so t-totally awesome...” Harvey paused as he thought he heard 90s Kid getting emotional, but when the teen pulled back, he was all smiles. “Well, c’mon, Dad, we don’t wanna be late for another check-in and have to go back to find your old girlfriend at her awesome motel.” He said with a wink, causing Harvey to shudder.

“I thought we agreed to never mention that again!”

“But I thought that would be a totally fun story to tell Linkara and the others when we get back,” 90s Kid teased. “They’ll wanna hear all about the awesome lady who took your breath away, Harvey-dude!”

“I’m gonna take more than your breath away if you tell anyone about that!” Harvey playfully dove at 90s Kid and gave a few pokes to his sides before the squeaking, giggling teen managed to slip out the car door.

“Hehehe, try and catch me, old man!”

“Oh, you’re in for it now, you little whippersnapper!” As Harvey chased 90s Kid about the motel parking lot, the pain in his neck was long forgotten, and the pain in his heart was soothed ever so slightly as well.

\-----

**Night 37**

“Sorry about the wait, Junior. I haven’t been in Jersey much so I don’t know where most of the good restaurants are.” Harvey apologized as they drove through the busy streets of Atlantic City.

“It’s all good, dude,” 90s Kid told him, nodding his head to the radio as he looked out the window. “I wouldn’t know where to go here either. It’s a cool place, though.” Quietly 90s Kid was grateful that Harvey didn’t know his way around that well, since that would ensure he didn’t have to eat at any more fancy places with portions of food that were way too small for a growing teenager.

“Hmm. Say, there’s a steakhouse just a few miles up. That good with you?”

90s Kid shrugged. “Your turn, dude. Why not?”

Harvey nodded in agreement and took the next exit, turning into a part of town that looked like it had promising nightlife. Harvey smiled at the sight of various clubs and bars around, places he knew well and could easily fit in at. “Ah, here we go,” Harvey announced, turning into the parking lot and finding a spot. It didn’t look to be too crowded, and though he found it odd that the windows were darkened so that you couldn’t see into them from outside, he heard his stomach growl and shrugged this peculiarity off as he walked to the door with 90s Kid.

“Hey there, boys,” an attractive young woman greeted as they walked inside a small waiting area. “Welcome to _George Best_. Table for two?”

Harvey nodded, smiling at the warm welcome. “Yes, please.”

“Right this way then, cuties!” They were led out of the small, cozy room and into a larger dining room, where other patrons were dining and enjoying themselves. Harvey thought it looked neat, though the atmosphere seemed... familiar, somehow. He couldn’t quite put his finger on it, but it carried the vibe of a place that had a secret to it. The overly friendly hostess, the warm atmosphere, the name of the restaurant, the way the patrons dining all seemed to be men his age, all of this made him feel very puzzled as he was led to his table. “Here’s your menus. Your waitress will be right around to help you!”

“Uh, right, thank you, miss,” Harvey told her, trying to soothe the buzzing noise in the back of his head. This was going to be a nice time; there was no reason to worry. “So, this place doesn’t look too bad.”

90s Kid nodded, looking around. “Yeah, totally. It’s not, like, too stuffy and junk.”

Harvey chuckled and picked up his menu, looking over it to see what he was interested in. “So, what do you think you’re gonna get?” Harvey looked up and his eyes widened in alarm as he took in 90s Kid’s face. “Junior? What’s wrong?”

“Uh... uh... muh...” 90s Kid could not be any more eloquent than that at the moment. He couldn’t actually speak any words right now, not when he was mentally short-circuiting as if someone had connected the positive terminals of his brain to the negative ones. His jaw dropped and his face flushed at a rapid rate as a beautiful woman with thick, blonde hair and baby blue eyes approached the table. She was holding a note pad in one hand, a pen in the other, and her dazzling smile was bright enough to light up the room. But 90s Kid didn’t notice any of this. If he were asked at a later date to describe this woman, he wouldn’t have been able to remember most of her physical features. Not when this cheerful, friendly waitress of theirs... was completely topless.

“Hiya, cuties!” she said, giving them each a friendly smile as she uncapped her pen and poised it over the pad. “My name is Carrie and I’ll be your server today! So, what can I get for you two?”

“Junior, where’s your manners? It’s not polite to stare at a lady! What are you... you... saints preserve us.” Harvey sucked in a breath as he finally turned to see what 90s Kid was looking at. His face quickly heated up and he tore his eyes away, realizing why he had gotten a weird vibe after he’d entered this place. It was a topless restaurant, a place that Harvey had visited long ago as a bachelor but had sworn off after marriage, and now he had accidentally led 90s Kid into one. _“Oh Lord, the Kid’s gonna kill me.”_

90s Kid’s sunglasses had slid to the bridge of his nose, revealing wide eyes glued to the girl’s chest, and he still couldn’t find it in him to form words. Harvey didn’t understand why they hadn’t stopped 90s Kid at the door to ask him for ID, but he knew that the best thing for everyone involved was to high-tail it out of there immediately. “Uh, um, I think there’s been a mistake here, miss,” Harvey babbled, trying to get himself together and rise up from the table. “I think we’re gonna head off.”

90s Kid finally seemed to find his tongue then as he slid his sunglasses back into place. “Aw, dude, this place looks totally cool! Can’t we stay?”

“Yeah, it’d be a real shame to miss out on our fabulous flounder special,” Carrie chimed in, her full lips formed into a pout. “Won’t you two give our little bistro another chance? Our drinks are so good you’ll be knocking them back like its last call, and we’ve even got a little show that the other waitresses and I put on.”

“Wow, a show,” 90s Kid murmured, his gaze still locked on her. “I bet it’s a totally awesome show too. Can’t we please stay, dude?”

“There is absolutely no way we’re eating here!” Harvey sternly replied as he moved one hand over 90s Kid’s eyes, pressing tightly against the shades, while grabbing his arm with the other.

“Aww, dude, let go!” 90s Kid complained, trying to wriggle away from him. Harvey kept a firm grip on the teen and started pulling him toward the door.

“Sorry, miss, but we really do have to be going,” he apologized to Carrie, while making sure to keep his gaze firmly on her face.

“Is there a problem over here, Carrie?” Harvey paled as several other waitresses started to approach them.

“Jeez, they’re all over the place! I gotta get Junior outta here before they realize he’s ain’t twenty-one!”

“Hey man, I’m totally old enough to eat here! Ask anyone, I’m totally mature for my age!” 90s Kid insisted as he kept trying to wriggle free.

“I said now, Junior!” Harvey yelled, tugging him further towards the door.

90s Kid managed to pull his head free from Harvey’s grip and shot one last longing look to the waitresses. “Sorry, dudettes, he’s old,” he apologized before Harvey finally yanked him out the door. Harvey looked absolutely mortified, the cool night air doing little to decrease the heat in his cheeks, while a similarly red-faced 90s Kid instead bore a huge smile. “Dude, that was awesome! Can I pick that place next time?”

“Shaddup and get in the car!”

90s Kid started giggling in a very giddy manner as he sat down and put his seatbelt on. “That was the most radical place EVER! I guess you wanted to get out because it was past your bedtime and stuff, huh?”

“Hey! I’ve seen more dames than you have!” Harvey snapped before blushing as he realized he didn’t want to compete with 90s Kid about this. “Just shaddup, okay? It was an honest mistake!”

90s Kid couldn’t stop snickering and eventually Harvey gave up and started laughing too. It was such a silly situation, after all. “Alright, alright, Junior, I guess it was kinda funny. You shoulda seen the look on your face; your eyes were wide as saucers.”

90s Kid took deep breaths to try and calm himself before shooting Harvey a sly smile. “So should we not tell Mom about this?”

Harvey laughed again, nodding rapidly before reaching for his cigarettes. “Oh, trust me, Mom is NEVER finding out about this!”

After finding adequate sustenance at a nearby seafood restaurant, the two returned to their room without incident. Harvey dropped his hat and tie on his bed and headed directly for the bathroom. After that experience, he needed a hot – or perhaps cold – shower pronto. Before he closed the door, Harvey turned sharply to 90s Kid, who was sitting on his bed and sketching happily.

“Junior, about what happened earlier – promise me this just stays between you an’ me, okay? The Kid’s a good guy and all, but if he ever hears about what happened at that restaurant...” Harvey trailed off and shuddered, unable to even contemplate his potential punishment.

90s Kid smiled brightly at the singer and nodded. “I swear, dude, Linkara will totally never hear about that awesome restaurant.”

“Good,” Harvey said, looking very relieved as he disappeared into the bathroom. Once he heard the water start to run, 90s Kid dug his cell phone out of his pocket, walked out onto the balcony, and closed the door behind him.

“Dan? It’s me, dude! I totally have the most awesome thing to tell you about! Hehehehe, you’re not gonna believe where Harvey-dude tried to take me for dinner tonight!”

\-----

**Day 40**

90s Kid giggled as he watched a cartoon on the hotel TV while Harvey sat in the corner chair, spinning his cell phone in his fingers. It had been two weeks since he’d last spoken to Linkara, and to say that they ended things on an unhappy note was a bit of an understatement. He knew he needed to give Linkara his space to cool off, since he had been boneheaded enough to buy so much merchandise and send it home without even a warning. Harvey wanted to call and apologize because he honestly was sorry about upsetting Linkara, but also because he was slightly worried that after the trip was over he wouldn’t actually be allowed in the front door. He dialed Linkara’s number and listened to it ring with an uneasy feeling in his stomach.

After the third ring, he answered. “Hello?”

“Kid?” Harvey said, clearing his throat a bit. “It’s me.”

“Harvey!” Linkara replied, a bit too enthusiastically, before lowering his voice. “How are things there? Everything alright?”

Harvey nodded before realizing Linkara couldn’t see that. “Oh yeah, everything’s dandy here. Just taking a rest in the room right now.”

“How’s 90s Kid doing? I was worried he’d be driving you crazy by now.”

Harvey chuckled. “Nah, he’s a good boy. Never a dull moment.” He paused. “So, uh, I miss you.”

“...I miss you too.”

“And I, uh, wanted to call to apologize about that whole snafu with the boxes.”

“Harvey-”

“No, no, you were right, Kid. It was a bad move to do that without your say so, and I promise I’ll find places for ‘em that don’t involve you having to do any extra work. I can’t handle you being mad at me, Kid, so I’ll do anything to make this right between us.”

“I can’t handle being mad at you either, Harvey,” Linkara replied, his tone soft and apologetic now. “I want to apologize too for flying off the handle like I did before. I know what you did was dumb, but I should have been more mature about the whole situation. I mean, it is your money, after all, so you should be able to spend it however you want to... even if that means you’re going to go on crazy shopping sprees every now and then.”

“I won’t do it again, Kid, I swear I won’t,” Harvey proclaimed. “I’ll even give you my credit cards so you’ll know I’m behaving myself!”

“Harvey, you don’t have to do that-”

“I want to, Kid,” Harvey insisted, softening his voice as well. “I love you so much and I’d do anything to make it so you weren’t mad at me.”

“I love you too, Harvey,” Linkara said, sending the singer’s heart aflutter all over again, “and I promise not to lose my temper again if you promise not to blow hundreds of dollars all in one afternoon.”

“You got yourself a deal, Kid.” Harvey eagerly agreed before lowering his voice a little. “Jeez, I’ve missed hearing your voice. Did I ever tell you how adorable that little lisp of yours is?”

“Why no, I don’t believe you have,” Linkara replied with a chuckle. “Why don’t you do that now, though?”

“Better yet, I’ll list all the things I find adorable about you,” Harvey declared.

“Ugh, gross.” Wrinkling his nose at the sudden mushy talk coming from across the room, 90s Kid turned off the TV, grabbed his key card, and headed for the door. “I’ll come back when you dudes are done with... that,” he announced before hurrying out into the hallway.

90s Kid took the elevator down to the ground floor and decided to look around for something to do that would kill some time. As he looked about the lobby, he caught sight out the window of Harvey’s road crew unloading things off the truck for that night’s show in the hotel’s Grand Ballroom. Thinking that would be a good way to get distracted, he walked out the door and caught up with them. “Hey, guys! You need any help with that?”

The men turned toward 90s Kid and grinned, wiping sweat from their brow. “You’re with Finevoice, right? Thanks for the offer, but you don’t gotta help. That’s what we’re paid for.”

90s Kid shook his head. “It’s all good, dudes; I’m looking for something to do. Besides, I’m stronger than I look!”

The workers chuckled and one handed 90s Kid a box, which he led over to the dolly with surprising ease. “Say, you’re right, you ain’t bad. Maybe we should take you with us for all these shows.”

“That might not be a bad idea! Finevoice has been in a better mood than I’ve ever seen him thanks to his boy coming along.”

“What? He has?” 90s Kid gave the road crew a look of genuine shock which caused several of them to laugh.

“Oh sure, kid, no fooling,” one said as he loaded a speaker onto the dolly. “Usually Finevoice is a nice enough guy, but he can get a little cranky from time to time.”

“That’s what happens when you go on the road at his age. No time for your afternoon nap if you want to hit the early bird special at the Sizzler before showtime,” another man chimed in, earning more laughs. 90s Kid couldn’t help chuckling as well as he picked up another box.

“But this time, he’s been smiling and joking with us more than he ever has before. Hell, Tony even dropped a mic stand on his foot, and he didn’t even yell at him.”

“Yeah, I was lucky that day,” Tony piped up from inside the back of the truck. “Finevoice was in such a rush to get out of there that he just smacked me on the head once before vamoosing. I think he said he didn’t want to be late for dinner with his boy.”

“He…really said that?” 90s Kid set the box he was holding down and turned away on the pretense of wiping sweat from his brow. Really, he was giving his eyes a quick wipe since they had started to tear up a little. Harvey had been excited to leave his show just so he could have dinner with him? 90s Kid wasn’t used to anyone aside from Dan caring about him so much and he felt a surge of warmth spread through his chest.

“Of course he did. You shoulda heard how excited he was to be goin’ on this trip with ya. He should bring you along every time, kid.” 90s Kid smiled as he soaked in the words and in no time at all, everything was loaded up.

“Thanks for your help, kid. Wish there was something we could do to repay ya.”

90s Kid shook his head happily. “Nah, you guys have totally done enough. Thanks for letting me help and junk!” 90s Kid decided to leave them be and walked along the sidewalk for a bit. The same warm feeling in his chest was spreading through the rest of his body, and he thought about what the others had told him about Harvey. Harvey honestly did like having him along on tour, and he was making him happy just by being here. Needing to be able to express this feeling, he dug into his pocket for his cell phone and dialed a number. There was always someone he could call when he needed to talk about anything and not risk being made fun of.

“80s Dan here!” the cheerfully familiar voice announced on the other end of the line.

“Dude, it’s me.” 90s Kid said, gripping the phone tightly as he walked.

“Hey sweetie! How are you doing today?”

“Good, real good. Um... I’m actually really, super awesomely good,” he softly admitted, his cheeks heating up a little.

“Ooh, did you happen to visit any more establishments where the clothing was optional?” Dan eagerly asked, hoping for another fun story.

“No, nothing like that, dude,” 90s Kid said, chuckling softly. “It’s just... sometimes I worry if, like, Harvey’s really having a good time with me on this trip. He always seems like he’s having fun, but you know, you never really know how a dude’s feeling, y’know?”

“I definitely know,” Dan agreed.

“Yeah, but now I... I think I do know. And I’m really... really happy.” 90s Kid was practically whispering now, since admitting all that was still embarrassing for him, so Dan responded in a soft tone as well, trying to wrap his words around 90s Kid like a protective blanket.

“Of course he’s having a good time with you, Kid. You’re a wonderful person who’s fun to be around and who’s always ready to help out in any way you can. It was only a matter of time before Harvey learned that too, and I’m so happy to hear he finally has. It’s good that you feel happy about this trip, sweetie, because you deserve to feel happy. Harvey’s a very lucky guy to have you as his trip-mate.”

90s Kid blushed, trying to stem his embarrassment and take in Dan’s loving words. “But I just don’t get it, dude. I didn’t think Harvey would be having this much fun with me on this trip. I thought he’d have more fun with guys like him, guys who like the stuff he likes and junk. We don’t always get along, but he really seems to want me to have fun.”

Dan chuckled softly. “Well, maybe he’s finally realizing just how much you have to offer, sweetie. I’ve always known that and now it seems Harvey’s discovering how wonderful you are as well.”

“Thanks, Dan. I’m really glad I decided to go on this trip,” 90s Kid murmured, still feeling as warm and bright as sunshine. “I’ve always wanted to get to know Harvey better, and he’s really cool, even if he likes fancy stuff.” Dan giggled and 90s Kid started giggling too. “So how are things over there, dude? You still doing okay?”

“Oh, don’t you worry about me, sweetie. I’ve been hanging out with Boffo and Doctor Linksano plenty over this past month, and I even got to spend a few hours at Snob’s last night!”

“Whoa, really?”

“Sure! Well, it took him a little while to notice me watching him from his kitchen, but he was sure excited to see me once he found out!”

“Hehehe, that totally sounds like Snob!” 90s Kid agreed. “I’m so glad you’re having a good time too, Dan. I love it out here but I totally miss you a ton.”

“I miss you too, sweetie, but I’m so glad you’re having fun.”

“Thanks, man.” 90s Kid watched as the sun started to hang low in the sky before he turned to head back toward the lobby. “It’s sorta getting late now, so I better get back so Harvey-dude and I can grab some dinner before show time. I’ll talk to you later, dude. Love you.”

“Love you too, Kid.”

A short while later, 90s Kid was walking back into his hotel room. He paused when he saw Harvey lying on the bed, though, until he also saw that the phone was back in place on the desk.

“Don’t worry, the Kid and I hung up a while ago,” Harvey informed him.

“Good.” Harvey rolled his eyes but continued smiling.

“So, what’d you get up to out there, Junior?”

“I was totally helping some dudes from your show load stuff out of a van,” 90s Kid informed him.

“Oh, those turkeys.” Harvey chuckled a bit as he stood up and walked toward one of his suitcases. “They’re a scream, so long as they weren’t badmouthing the boss behind his back.”

“Nah, they...totally said good stuff.” 90s Kid said softly, looking down as another embarrassed smile slid across his face.

Harvey nodded as he continued to search for his toothbrush. “Good to hear.”

“Although...” 90s Kid’s smile suddenly turned teasing. “Do you really like getting the early bird special at the Sizzler, Harvey-dude?”

Harvey scowled. “That’s it, those mooks are all fired!”

\-----

**Day 49**

90s Kid struggled with an enormous map of the United States which threatened to engulf the entire front of the car if he wasn’t careful. “Dude, our country is so totally big!”

“You ain’t just whistling Dixie,” Harvey replied, frowning as he just barely avoided a paper cut to the chin. “You wouldn’t believe some of the things I’ve seen while driving across this kooky place. Balls of yarn bigger than houses, miles and miles of nothing but cornfields, and don’t even get me started on that time I drove through Florida.” Harvey shuddered at the memory, but 90s Kid only seemed to grow excited by his words.

“Florida? Isn’t that where, like, Disney World is? Dude, we should totally go there! It would be the most awesome pit stop ever!”

Harvey chuckled and smoothly flattened the map to the dashboard with one hand. “Sorry, Junior, but my tour doesn’t go that far south this time. I’m afraid you’ll have to save a visit with the Mouse for another day.”

“Aww, no fair.” 90s Kid said, slumping down and pouting a little.

“Hey, cheer up. I think our next stop is going to make you forget all about some cheap ice cream bars and carnival rides.”

“Really? Where are we going, man?” 90s Kid turned to Harvey curiously, but the singer continued driving without saying anything more, instead smiling mysteriously.

“Just look around you, Junior. The road we’re on is a little one called... Pennsylvania Avenue.” 90s Kid stared at Harvey blankly. “And you know who lives at number 1600, don’t you, Junior?” Harvey continued, looking a bit less enthusiastic now. “The most famous man in the country?”

90s Kid’s face quickly lit up. “Rob Liefeld’s here?”

“No!” Harvey snapped. “The President, Junior! Jeez Louise.”

90s Kid stared at Harvey for a moment. “Dude, you think the President is more exciting than Mickey Mouse? Did you start, like, drinking from your flask early or something?”

“Ugh, kids these days, no respect for their country’s history!” Harvey exclaimed, raising his hands in dismay before he quickly brought them back down to the wheel.

90s Kid giggled. “Are you gonna tell me to get off your lawn next, Harvey-dude?” Harvey swatted 90s Kid with the map, which just caused him to giggle more, before the teen calmed down and started looking around at the scenery. “So, where are we gonna go here?”

“Well, we’re in Washington D.C. Junior, so there’s definitely a lot of things to visit. There’s the Washington Monument, the Air and Space Museum, and there’s somewhere kinda personal that I wanna visit to kick things off.” 90s Kid was intrigued as Harvey made a turn, parking in front of a wide grassy area containing a lot of plaques and statues. Harvey got out of the car and 90s Kid followed, wondering what was going on.

“Where are we?” 90s Kid asked before he saw the sign. “Korean War Veterans Memorial... oh! Is this the war you fought in, Harvey-dude?”

Harvey nodded. “That’s right, Junior. When I was little, my old man went off to fight the Nazis, but I was too young to enlist, so I caught the next one.” Harvey kept walking forward, looking around in a contemplative manner as he took everything in. “I was only there a year, but it was enough to stick with me.”

90s Kid went quiet as he and Harvey approached the wall engraved with names. Harvey searched for a minute before reaching out and touching one of them. “Did you know him?” 90s Kid asked.

Harvey nodded. “Yeah. Guy I went to school with, was behind me in the enlisting line. Back in the day, goin’ into the military was kinda the thing to do, so a lot of kids my age went.”

“Wow. No one at my school ever talked about going off to fight in a war.” 90s Kid seemed more subdued than Harvey expected, so he rested a hand on the teen’s shoulder.

“That’s a good thing, Junior. War ain’t no game and it’s no glamorous place you go to become popular. I was lucky to get out of there in one piece.”

“You weren’t lucky.” Harvey looked down in surprise at 90s Kid’s words, watching silently as he reached out to touch the monument with his own fingers. “You’re a totally awesome dude, Harvey, especially back then. You’re brave and strong and smart... you totally came back because of all that stuff. Everyone else was totally lucky to have someone like you being so brave for them. You’re really amazing, man.”

Harvey started to choke up and he squeezed 90s Kid’s shoulder as he attempted to calm down. “It means a lot to hear that, Junior. I didn’t always feel all that brave or strong out there, but I did my damnedest to keep my people safe. And I’m going to keep doing my damnedest at that.” He added, mentally picturing Linkara and the team.

“You always do, man. I always feel safe with guys like you and Linkara around. I hope I grow up to be like that.”

Harvey smiled and put his arm around 90s Kid, squeezing him again. “Hey, you already are. I know I should tell you this more, Junior, but you’re one of the bravest cats I know.”

90s Kid looked up at him, startled and embarrassed, as though he didn’t feel worthy of such a thing. “What? W-why?”

“Because you’ve had to deal with a lot for someone as young as you are. When I was your age, I was goin’ off to war and learning how to shoot guns and give people orders, and you’ve had to deal with gettin’ yanked outta time, gettin’ possessed, evil holograms...” He saw 90s Kid swallow and squeezed him again. “Not everybody can deal with that sorta thing. If it weren’t for the Kid, I don’t think I coulda handled all the things that happened to me. But you managed to get through it all and still keep your smile. That ain’t nothing to sneeze at, kiddo.”

90s Kid looked down and took in a shaky breath. “I needed you guys too, Harvey.”

“That’s perfectly okay, Junior,” Harvey replied softly, pulling the teen closer to him. “All us cats and dames need somebody sometime. I wouldn’t have made it through my journey to this crazy time if it weren’t for the Kid... not to mention the rest of you,” he said, smiling softly down at 90s Kid. “And I wouldn’t have made it through the war without these guys. That’s why I stop by here whenever I’m in D.C. I come to visit my old buddies and to thank them for everything they did for me back then.”

90s Kid’s fingers traced lightly over the name that Harvey had touched. “Thank you for being Harvey-dude’s friend,” he whispered. “He’s a really good dude and I’m... I’m so happy he’s here with me. So thank you... all of you.”

Harvey looked away and wiped at his eyes, while 90s Kid did the same. When the two had composed themselves, Harvey glanced down at him. “Alright, Junior, let’s get rolling. We’ve gotta lot more to see today, so shall we be on our way?”

“Yeah, I totally wanna see some other stuff around here,” 90s Kid said, smiling as they walked back to the car. “Where to next, man?”

Harvey grinned, putting on his seatbelt and backing out of his parking space. “Why not the National Mall? That’s a good place to head for sightseeing.”

“Oh, dude, that sounds awesome! The mall in D.C. must be so choice!”

“Uh, it ain’t an actual mall, Junior. You’ll see when we get there.”

90s Kid looked puzzled and then shook his head. “I knew we should’ve gone to Florida.”

\-----

**Night 56**

90s Kid eased into his chair, settling the guitar against his knee. He was getting more practice than he’d expected while on this trip and he couldn’t wait to play new songs for Dan when he returned home. 90s Kid had learned a few while on this trip, and they were surprisingly not from the 90s this time. Two of the ditties were 80s classics that Dan was sure to love, and the third...well, that one was something special. 90s Kid wasn’t sure if he would ever play that one for another person, not until he was certain he had mastered it. As he strummed along, 90s Kid couldn’t help singing softly the words that were always a comfort to him.

“Two drifters, off to see the world... there’s such a lot of world to see...” 90s Kid closed his eyes, letting the melody carry him away, forgetting everything but the notes plucked by his fingers. “We’re after the same rainbow’s end, waiting, round the bend...” 90s Kid even forgot to check the time, which quickly slipped away, and at a little after nine, Harvey returned from his show. The singer opened the door to their room and walked inside, ready to greet 90s Kid, but stopped in surprise when he heard what 90s Kid was playing.

“Junior, is that... why didn’t you tell me you knew how to play _Moon River_?”

“Harvey!” 90s Kid fumbled the guitar in shock but managed to grab it before it clattered to the floor. He blushed, not meaning for Harvey to see this until he had absolutely perfected it. “Uh, I, uh, I didn’t know it yet. I was kinda practicing it, sorta, while you were out at all your shows, and I was gonna show you later cuz I’m really not very good-”

Harvey shook his head, smiling from ear to ear as he sat down on his bed. “Are you kidding? You sounded real swell there! C’mon, play it again!”

90s Kid swallowed and limbered up his fingers, starting from the beginning. He kept expecting to make a mistake, but to his surprise, the chords seemed to flow naturally from his fingers. Harvey listened with increasing joy until he clapped his hands emphatically once 90s Kid was finished.

“Flawless! Junior, that was the bee’s knees! I’m so glad I came in when I did, since I was planning on making _Moon River_ my finale for tomorrow night’s set. Whattaya say you bring that thing on stage with me and play for the crowd? I know the boys won’t mind.”

90s Kid’s whole body was flushed with embarrassment and pleasure at Harvey’s words, but the singer’s offer sobered him up and he gripped the guitar to steady himself. “What? Harvey-dude, are you serious? I-I’m totally not good enough to play for, like, an audience!”

“What are you talking about? That was amazing, Junior.” Harvey persisted smiling brightly as he continued to encourage the teen. “You really swing when you’re playing that axe of yours. You hit every note beautifully and that’s a gift the world deserves to hear.”

“You... you really think that?” 90s Kid smiled with embarrassment and squirmed a bit in his seat, since he still wasn’t used to being complimented so earnestly. If Harvey was saying all these things to him, he must mean them, since he wouldn’t lie about something this important.

“Of course I do,” Harvey confirmed, his grin proving to be infectious since 90s Kid was now beaming himself. “I would be proud to have you up on stage playing with me, Junior. I always wanted...” Harvey trailed off, afraid to admit that he’d always wanted Charlie up on stage with him. He’d been getting so close to 90s Kid lately, but he couldn’t forget that this boy was not his son... no matter how much he might want him to be.

90s Kid noticed his hesitation and started to look down. “You’re re-thinking this, right? It’s cool; I totally get it, Harvey. I’m not good enough yet.”

Harvey shook his head and stood up, determined. “That’s not what I meant, Junior. You’re damn good at this music business and I won’t have you doubting yourself. Even if you won’t play with me, promise me you’ll believe it when I tell you that you have talent. You can give me that much at least, right Junior?”

Once again Harvey’s smile proved to be infectious and before he knew it, 90s Kid was not only smiling but nodding as well. “I believe you, Harvey. If you think I’m good, then I must be sorta kinda good. If you really want me to play...then I’ll totally play on stage with you, man.”

“Ha!” Harvey clapped his hands again and jumped lightly into the air. “That’s the spirit, Junior! Oh, this is gonna be great! I gotta call the boys and let ‘em know what’s happening! The audience won’t know what hit ‘em!”

90s Kid watched as Harvey went off to grab his phone and call his band, before looking down to his guitar again, swallowing thickly. While part of him was excited and even overjoyed at the prospect of performing on stage with Harvey, another part was nervous – no, downright terrified that he might make a mistake and ruin everything. 90s Kid didn’t want to let Harvey down, especially not in front of all those people. He would hate losing the pride and respect of the man he looked up to most, like a father...

90s Kid shook his head. Harvey wasn’t his father. He couldn’t possibly fill that spot for him, not after what had happened. 90s Kid couldn’t ask so much of Harvey, but what Harvey was asking of him was something he could do. 90s Kid wanted so badly to make Harvey proud of him, so he was going to do it. Determined now, 90s Kid started playing the song again, knowing he needed all the practice he could fit in until tomorrow night. As the notes started to flow out of his guitar, slow and smooth, he smiled. Even when he was nervous, this song somehow always managed to bring calm and peace to his mind.


	6. Chapter 6

**Night 57**

90s Kid paced nervously in Harvey’s dressing room. He was already feeling anxious about the performance, and having to wear an uncomfortable suit was not helping him to relax at all. “Oh, dude, maybe this wasn’t a radical idea,” he murmured, his fingers curling and uncurling as they played invisible notes. “I’m totally not good enough. I can’t play with Harvey. He’s so awesome and I’m just-”

“You’re just as awesome as I am, Junior.” Harvey walked into the room, looking cool as a cucumber, and handed 90s Kid a glass of water. “Here, drink this and sit down. You’re gonna wear a hole in the floor at this rate.”

“Sorry, man,” 90s Kid muttered, plopping down and gulping the water.

“So, what’s all this negative talk I’m hearing?” Harvey said as he checked his reflection in the mirror. “Didn’t you tell me you were gonna believe it when I said you got talent, Junior?”

“I-I know,” 90s Kid said, looking down sheepishly. “I’m just, like, so nervous that I don’t know what I’m saying.”

Harvey gave his bow-tie a final adjustment before walking over to 90s Kid and squeezing his shoulder, since he’d found this gesture worked well at comforting the teen. “Junior, you’re gonna be great out there. You’ve got the talent and the guts to put on a fantastic show, so just stop thinking so much and go with your instincts. You think you can do that tonight?”

90s Kid nodded, trying not to let the glass slip out of his still-shaking hands. “Y-yeah. I’m definitely gonna try.” Harvey gave him a look and 90s Kid cleared his throat to sound more confident. “Yeah, I can do this. I can do it for you, Harvey.”

Harvey smiled. “That’s my boy.”

A stagehand knocked on the door and nearly startled 90s Kid out of his skin. “Mr. Finevoice? Almost time for your entrance, sir.”

“Be right there, Nicky,” Harvey told him before turning to 90s Kid. “Alright, Junior, time for me to go out there and shine. Now remember what I told ya, wait until Nicky gives ya the signal, and then you come out there with your guitar. It’s gonna be a night to remember, I’m sure of it. Got all that?” 90s Kid nodded and Harvey grinned at him. “Break a leg, kiddo.”

“You too, Harvey-dude.” 90s Kid followed Harvey out to the side of the stage, but stayed hidden behind the curtain. Harvey greeted the audience in his usual smooth manner, soon carrying them in the palm of his hand as he sung as beautifully as ever. _“Wow, he sounds really good, like always...”_ 90s Kid thought, swallowing. _“Oh, man... look at all those people... I don’t know if I can do this...”_

A small part of 90s Kid wanted to turn and run, but his legs stubbornly refused to move. Instead, he found his hand to be moving as it reached into his pocket and pulled out his cell phone. 90s Kid started flipping through the photos stored on the device, looking first at one of Dan, since the older man always gave him confidence. “Love you, dude,” he murmured before moving to the next photo, one of himself with the whole team.

“You guys wouldn’t laugh if I messed up,” 90s Kid said, feeling a bit better as he thought about how everyone would react to his playing. “You would think it was awesome that I’m even trying.” Then 90s Kid moved to the last photo, one of just him and Harvey. They’d only taken it a couple of weeks ago, but it was already one of 90s Kid’s favorite photos. Harvey had his arm around him and he looked so pleased to be there. “He said he was proud of me, so I can’t let him down.”

90s Kid quickly put his phone away when Nicky flashed a hand signal at him. This was it, time to go. 90s Kid took a deep breath and walked out onto the stage. He almost froze when he saw all those faces staring up at him, but then he caught sight of the most important face of all. Harvey gave him his proudest smile and nodded over to the stool 90s Kid would sit upon. 90s Kid smiled back, feeling confident as he took his seat. If Harvey believed he could do it, then he was going to do it.

“Everyone, I’d like to introduce you to someone special for our final number,” Harvey spoke into the microphone, still holding the audience captive under his spell. “To close out the night, and this wonderful tour that I’ve been on, I’d like you to meet the guy I’ve been sharin’ the road with. He’s got plenty of that Finevoice talent, so why don’t you all give a nice, warm welcome to 90s Kid?”

90s Kid blushed, his heart pounding in his ears as the audience started to clap for him. Harvey turned to him and gave him a wink. “Hit it, Junior.” 90s Kid took a deep breath and closed his eyes as he started to play the opening notes of the song. In no time at all, Harvey’s rich voice joined the melody.

_“Moon River... wider than a mile... I’m crossing you in style someday...”_

90s Kid couldn’t believe it, he was actually doing this, and he actually wasn’t doing badly. Harvey’s singing elevated how good his strumming sounded, and the look of dreamy delight on the patrons’ faces made him start to feel like he was floating.

 _"Oh dream maker, you heartbreaker, wherever you’re going, I’m going your way...”_ Harvey shot a quick glance to 90s Kid, his heart bursting with pride, cherishing this duet for all it was worth. It was as though this song had been written just for the two of them.

 _“Two drifters, off to see the world, there’s such a lot of world to see...”_ As Harvey sang, he reflected on this trip that they had been taking together; it was certainly the most glorious tour he could remember ever being a part of. He would never, ever forget this night.

_“We’re after the same rainbow’s end... waiting ‘round the bend... my huckleberry friend, Moon River... and me...”_

The thunderous applause was almost enough to knock 90s Kid off his stool. He gripped to his guitar for dear life as he looked out into the crowd, his heart pounding and his cheeks bright red as he smiled and accepted their outpouring of love and adoration. He was so flustered that he couldn’t even think of what he should do next, but then a warm, comforting hand rested atop his shoulder and a soft voice murmured to him, “I told you you’d wow ‘em all, Junior. You even knocked my socks off. I’m so proud of you...son.”

“Harvey...” 90s Kid’s lip started to tremble and he was certain he was going to start sobbing on the stage that very instant if nothing happened to disrupt their tender moment. However, this crowd was still filled with Harvey’s biggest fans, and they were known for causing the most inappropriate of interruptions, so when a pair of pink panties landed atop 90s Kid’s head, he said a silent word of thanks at being able to cover his tears with laughter while Harvey yanked the garment off his head.

“Hey, hey, he’s barely eighteen, you ravenous jackals!” Harvey called out into the crowd, very red himself now, which only made 90s Kid laugh harder. “Alright, someone call security!” Harvey demanded as a wave of undergarments started sailing toward the stage. “Come on, Junior, let’s get out of here.”

90s Kid and Harvey quickly walked offstage, the singer still shaking his head and ranting. “Honestly, some people have no decency! It’s one thing for a cat of my age to deal with that but when-”

Harvey’s stream of words was cut off when 90s Kid pulled him into a bone-crushing hug. “That was so completely radical,” 90s Kid mumbled into his shoulder, his emotions rising up to claim him again. “I don’t think I’d have been able to do it if you hadn’t made me, dude. Thank you so much...”

Harvey returned the embrace and squeezed him, getting choked up himself. “You were fantastic, Junior. That duet’s gotta be my best in ages.”

90s Kid pulled back, taking some deep breaths and bouncing up and down. “Dude, I feel so awesome! I feel like I could, like, run a hundred miles and never stop!”

Harvey laughed. “You got that first show feeling, Junior! I remember when I did my first big gig, I was so excited that I couldn’t even sleep, I just stayed up all night thinking I was king of the world.” Harvey put an arm around 90s Kid and pulled him close. “What say we head back to the hotel and celebrate?”

“I say that sounds like the best idea ever!” 90s Kid agreed, adrenaline still pumping through his veins. “What should we do first? Sneak into the pool for a midnight dip? Climb onto the roof and yell to the world about how totally awesome we are?”

“I was thinking more along the lines of ordering some fancy grub to celebrate,” Harvey replied, looking a bit uncertain at the teen’s suggestions.

“That’s also the most awesome idea ever!” 90s Kid agreed, relieving the older man. “Then I can totally call Dan and, like, tell him about how radical tonight was!”

“I’m sure Crockett will be thrilled to hear you had such a good time,” Harvey agreed. “So, now that you’ve gotten a taste of show biz, Junior, whattaya think? You ready to go on a tour of your own yet?”

90s Kid giggled as he shot him a playful look. “Only if you’re going with me, dude. I’m part of a duo, so there’s no me without you.” Harvey chuckled and nodded along, although a very small part of him glowed with warmth at these words.

\-----

**Day 60**

Harvey awoke with a start from a not particularly pleasant dream and rubbed the sleep from his eyes. “Criminy, what a piece of work that was,” he muttered. “Don’t know what I ate last night to make me envision little pink aliens and giant crossbows.” Harvey shifted around in his covers and winced when a familiar pain in his neck flared up. “Jeez Louise, why’d this have to come back,” he muttered in annoyance as he rubbed the spot tenderly. “I hope this stupid crook in my neck don’t knock me out too much. I wanna make good time today.” Harvey and 90s Kid were less than a day away from home and Harvey was hoping they could make it there before sundown. He figured this was possible so long as they got an early start. Still rubbing his neck, Harvey glanced over at the clock and almost gasped out loud. “10:34? What the... damn it, my alarm didn’t go off! Junior, wake up!” Harvey leapt from the bed and hurried into the bathroom, jumping into the shower and then out a few minutes later, while trying to ignore the throbbing in his neck. “Come on, grab your stuff! We gotta vamoose before we lose any more time!”

90s Kid yawned and tried to wake himself up enough to get his clothes on without putting them on backwards. Thankfully he had already packed up most of his things the night before, knowing that they had come to the end of their trip, so he just needed to grab a few final items. “I know, dude, I’m coming,” he mumbled, rubbing his eyes and stretching.

“At least we woke up before check-out time, otherwise we’d really be in deep,” Harvey muttered, opening drawers just to be sure he hadn’t forgotten anything. “Got everything? If we hurry, we might be able to grab some grub downstairs before we hit the road.”

“That sounds rad. Okay, dude, I think I’m ready.” The two headed out of the hotel room and 90s Kid started whistling a tune that Harvey recognized right away, since he’d caught 90s Kid humming or singing it when he thought he was alone for about the past month.

“ _Master of the House_? You still whistling that?” Even in his haste, he couldn’t help flashing 90s Kid a teasing grin. “I guess taking you to Broadway wasn’t as boring and old-fashioned as you thought, huh?”

90s Kid un-pursed his lips and blushed slightly as he pushed the button for the elevator. “I-I guess it wasn’t so bad. The fights and junk were cool,” he mumbled, not wanting to admit how much he’d enjoyed the play, since musicals were not usually things he considered awesome. Once they arrived in the lobby, 90s Kid headed eagerly toward where the continental breakfast awaited them. “We don’t have time for a whole meal today, Junior, so just grab something you can munch in the car and let’s go.”

90s Kid sighed, his hopes for pancakes and fried eggs dashed. “Okay, man.”

Harvey nodded as he picked up several donuts and a can of orange juice before he snagged a honey nut muffin and a cup of coffee. “Okay, let’s be on our way, shall we?”

As they headed out to store their bags in the car, 90s Kid started humming the same tune as before under his breath without realizing it. Harvey was more interested in hitting the road than teasing this time so he let it pass without comment. The only comment he made was when he stumbled over a crack in the blacktop and spilled his coffee all over his shoes. “Ahh! Damn it! I just had these babies polished too!” Harvey quickly tried to wipe the liquid from his loafers, before he contemplated getting another cup from the hotel. “Nah, I think we have some old Joe in a thermos. Besides, we’ll probably pass a ton of coffee joints before we reach home anyway.” Harvey shut the trunk and took a bite of his muffin before sliding behind the wheel. “We’re off!”

Harvey reached for the thermos that he knew was still in the cup holder and unscrewed it to take a sip. Instantly his face screwed up in disgust. “Ecch! Okay, I was wrong. There is no way I am drinking this sludge,” he said, dumping the old coffee out the window and lighting up a cigarette instead. He took heart at the thought that soon he’d be at home, with Linkara in his arms, where he could have all the good coffee he wanted and sleep in a bed that wouldn’t make his neck feel like it was going to snap off his body. The peaceful thoughts of home were quickly forced from his mind, however as Harvey tried to get out of the hotel parking lot and a car whizzed by, cutting him off. “Whoa! Hey, what the hell do you think you’re doing?!” Harvey shouted, shaking his fist at the driver. “Thanks for nothing, ya stupid bastard!” 90s Kid, who was munching on a donut and still trying to wake up, found himself humming more of the song as he was eating, and Harvey finally seemed to take notice of the habit that the teen had taken up. “Boy, Junior, that little ditty from the show really did a number on you, huh?”

"I guess it’s kinda catchy,” 90s Kid admitted a bit sheepishly. “Master of the house, doling out the charm, ready with a handshake and an open arm...”

“Palm,” Harvey corrected.

“Palm?” 90s Kid’s brow furrowed. “But that doesn’t rhyme with arm.”

“Yeah, sometimes songs don’t rhyme,” Harvey replied, a bit shorter than he’d meant to, since the pain in his neck had suddenly flared up again.

“Huh... I guess palm would make more sense,” 90s Kid mused, still munching on a donut as he did. “But I like songs better when they rhyme. Don’t you, like, like those kinds of songs better too, Harvey-dude?”

“Huh? Yeah, sure, whatever.” Harvey continued to rub his neck and hoped that 90s Kid would pick up on the fact that he wasn’t in the mood for a big conversation on rhyme scheme at the moment. Especially not when a semi was veering close enough to him that Harvey worried for his side mirror. “Hey, watch it!” he cried, honking a few times when the large vehicle suddenly merged in front of him. Fortunately he managed to swerve out of the way in time but this jerking motion of the car caused his neck to roll around and Harvey let out a soft hiss of pain. “Ahhh. Damn it.” Harvey glanced over at 90s Kid to see if he’d noticed, but the teen seemed too lost in his song to have realized anything. Harvey felt thankful, and then annoyed a minute later, so he reached for the radio. “Let’s get some tunes in here.”

Harvey wasn’t familiar with the local radio stations in the city they were in, and it seemed like none of them were playing anything that he could stomach. He fiddled with the dial until he grimaced after a rather loud guitar riff blasted into the car. “Ooh, ooh, keep it on this, dude!” 90s Kid exclaimed, obviously recognizing it. Harvey felt a tiny throbbing pain begin in his temple that he knew would slowly spread through his entire forehead, but he didn’t turn down the volume or change the station. He was thrilled that he’d gotten to take 90s Kid to see one of his favorite musicals live, but he much preferred it when Linkara was the one to randomly sing show tunes. At least Linkara knew all the words and didn’t just do the same few verses over and over, which Harvey was dismayed to see 90s Kid was still doing in spite of the music. Harvey winced and raised a hand to his neck again, which the teen finally took notice of, his face growing concerned. “Dude, is it your neck?”

“Eh, it’s nothing,” Harvey tried to shrug off. “I’ve felt worse pain than this, so I should be able to handle it until we get home.”

90s Kid’s face lit up as he thought of the last time Harvey had suffered from this affliction and he sat up straighter. “Dude, you want me to drive? I think I did an awesome job last time!”

Harvey couldn’t help smiling a bit at the hopeful note in 90s Kid’s voice. “Yeah, you did do a pretty good job last time you were behind the wheel. I think-” Harvey cut himself off when he noticed a cop car pull up in the lane beside him and spotted another hiding behind a billboard they were passing by. “Ooh. On second thought, I’d better stick to the driving today. We wouldn’t want to get arrested right before we reach home, would we?”

“I guess not,” 90s Kid said sadly as he slumped down in his seat. Harvey also felt rather discouraged about this situation. Despite his earlier protests, his neck was starting to really throb, and letting 90s Kid drive would have given him a chance to rest it for a few hours. Unfortunately this wasn’t meant to be, it seemed, and Harvey reluctantly remained behind the wheel. Once that horrible song that 90s Kid had been enjoying ended, Harvey reached again for the radio to shut it off, since he did not need to experience throbbing in two parts of his body right now. “Sorry, Junior, but I think I gotta shut this off for now.”

“It’s cool,” 90s Kid replied. Moments later that infernal show tune was filling the car again and Harvey’s grip on the steering wheel tightened. He needed another cigarette, so he casually reached into his pocket and tried to pull out his lighter, but a bump in the road caused it to slip from his hands and slide under his seat. Harvey muttered a curse under his breath and thought about reaching down to grab it, but the cop was still driving beside him and Harvey did not want to take any chances.

“Say, Junior, why don’t you check the map and double check where we’re turning,” he suggested, hoping this task would distract the teen enough from singing for a while. He really wished he’d gotten a second cup of coffee right now.

90s Kid continued his singing as he reached for the map and opened it up, accidentally spreading it out wide enough to cover the windshield. “Master of the-whoops!”

Harvey nearly swerved the car as he struggled to see where he was going. “Junior, get that thing out of my eyes! I can’t see!”

90s Kid quickly smushed it down and Harvey hit the brakes to stop them from rear-ending a nearby car. “Sorry, dude! I didn’t mean to do that!”

“It’s fine, Junior,” Harvey gasped, clutching at his chest. “I just think I should remind you that my heart is the same age that I am.” 90s Kid searched through the map quickly to try and figure out where the turn was, and to still his own nerves, he started whistling the tune again, not noticing how Harvey’s eye was twitching.

“Uh... I can’t see it on here, dude.”

“What are you talking about? I know it’s there, keep looking.”

“Uh, it might be this one, but it looks like we were supposed to turn back there already.”

Harvey groaned loudly, wishing he could rest his pounding head against the steering wheel. “Peachy! Just peachy!” He looked out the window and tried to see if there was any way he could turn around, or a different route that he could take.

“Wow, there’s like no trees or buildings or anything out here,” 90s Kid murmured as he took in the flatland all around them.

“Nothing like a lack of landmarks to make for a fun trip,” Harvey dryly remarked as he continued to search for another road. His eyes landed upon a sign which pointed to the route he wanted and he groaned when he saw that it was 55 miles ahead of them. “Jeez Louise, that’s almost an hour away,” he sighed. “I can’t believe we missed the turn.”

“Um, I’m really sorry, Harvey-dude,” 90s Kid said in a meek tone.

“It was just an accident, Junior. Let’s just keep going until we find the place where we can turn.”

Harvey rubbed at his neck for the next half an hour and tried very much to ignore 90s Kid’s random spurts of song, but his patience was wearing thin. The only sound that finally snapped 90s Kid out of his reverie was the growling of Harvey’s stomach, which caused 90s Kid to snicker a bit. “Whoa, dude, you must be starving. Well, I totally am too, so we should, like, stop for some lunch.”

“We can’t stop until we get back onto the right route,” Harvey said, before his stomach rumbled even louder this time.

90s Kid quirked an eyebrow at him. “You sure, dude? We can, like, just stop for a quick bite. It won’t take too long and then we can totally drive home.”

“Junior, have you been taking in the scenery lately? There aren’t any places where we can stop for a quick bite.”

90s Kid frowned and looked out the window again before squinting at an upcoming sign. “Oh! Harvey-dude, look! There’s totally a restaurant at the next exit! We can stop there!” Harvey grimaced as his stomach started to ache from hunger but he clung even tighter to the steering wheel. “I’d really rather we didn’t until we’re back on the right route, Junior, so could you please do me this one favor and wait a little longer?”

90s Kid nodded, looking rather solemn. “Okay, Harvey. I’ll do what you say.”

“Thanks.” Harvey let out a tight-lipped smile, grateful that the discussion was over. There was nothing on this earth that was going to make him stop right now.

“Master of the House, doling out the charm, ready with a handshake and an open arm...”

“On second thought, I’m famished.” The wheels squealed a bit as Harvey suddenly veered over onto the off-ramp, but the only concern on the singer’s mind was whether or not this restaurant served coffee.

Eventually the paved road that Harvey set off on turned into a beaten path in the woods, and it felt like they were driving for much longer than it said they should on the map. But finally, a little wooden shack appeared before them with a sign bearing the words Cassandra’s Café. Harvey could nearly smell the coffee in the air and he wrinkled his nose eagerly, sliding the car into park and eagerly stepping out. 90s Kid, however, didn’t immediately exit the car, staring at the shack with apprehension. He saw a woman in the window cleaning tables, and when he looked at her, her head lifted up and calm, gray eyes stared directly into his. He quickly looked away, feeling something in his stomach that strongly resembled fear.

“C’mon, Junior, you comin’ or what?” Harvey called to him. “You said you were hungry.”

90s Kid slowly undid his seatbelt and got out of the car. He knew that Harvey hadn’t really wanted to stop, so it would be rude to ask him to just turn around and leave again, but something about this place was making him feel... strange. Not wanting to be left alone at the moment, 90s Kid hurried to keep up with the older man. “Coming, Harvey-dude.”

Harvey was in such a rush to grab a table and order that he at first didn’t notice much about the place he had deigned to stop at. “Two please, any available table,” he told the woman without so much as looking at her, since his eyes were trained on the doors leading to the kitchen. “Oh, and can I order my beverage now? I want a pot of coffee, regular, as soon as possible.”

“Of course, Mr. Finevoice. Please follow me to your seat.”

“Thanks.” Only when he was slipping into a chair did Harvey realize that he hadn’t introduced himself to the woman, but it wasn’t uncommon to run into fans all over the world so he didn’t make much of it. “I guess my reputation precedes me,” he said with a chuckle as he finally looked toward the woman; though the noise died in his throat when he noticed her calm, gray eyes were fixed on his face, unblinking. “Uh...” he stammered, uncharacteristically nervous for some reason, “S-so, would you happen to be a fan of mine, Miss...?”

“Call me Cassandra,” she replied, her voice lilting and dreamy. “Sorry to say but no, I am not a fan of lounge music.”

“Oh.” Harvey was about to shoot a confused grin to 90s Kid but the teen was staring down at his placemat and seemed quite tense.

“I will be back shortly with your coffee and a root beer,” Cassandra remarked as she turned toward the kitchen. “I will also bring a heat pack for your neck, Mr. Finevoice.”

“Oh wow, thanks!” Harvey called out with a grin until the woman had disappeared. Then his smile became a frown of even deeper confusion. “Wait a sec, did I tell her about my neck hurting?”

90s Kid slowly shook his head. “I didn’t order a root beer either,” he said, his voice soft and now slightly shaky. “Um, m-maybe we should leave now, Harvey-dude. This place is kinda creeping me out.”

“We’re not leaving after we came all this way to find the place,” Harvey insisted, his hunger and bad mood outweighing any sense of suspicion he might have held for the place. “We’ll eat a quick meal and I’ll rest my neck for a bit, and then we’ll hit the road again feeling hunky-dory. This dame may be a little kooky, but she’s not dangerous, alright?”

90s Kid didn’t respond, since at that moment Cassandra reappeared with their beverages and the heat pack, which Harvey gratefully placed on his neck.

“Thanks so much, Ms. Cassandra.”

“It is no trouble at all,” Cassandra replied, her eyes slowly flickering from the singer to the teen who was fiddling nervously with his napkin. “You seem to have a nervous energy about you, child of the past. Might I ask to read your palm?”

“What did you call me?” 90s Kid asked, not quite sure he could believe his ears, but Cassandra did not respond and before he knew it, he found his hand was already in hers.

“Oh yes...” she murmured, tracing the lines of his palm gently, “Yes, I can see it... journeying will always be in your future... a dive from the sky...”

90s Kid frowned. “Uh, but, um, I’m not going skydiving or anything, ma’am.”

“Perhaps then a dive into the sea… you shall be journeying very far down...”

90s Kid was quite pale at this point, his arm trembling slightly. “Uh, w-what are you talking about, ma’am?”

“It must be a gag, Junior,” Harvey tried to reassure him, though he wasn’t entirely sure if that was true, since the look in Cassandra’s eyes seemed to be very serious. “Just a goof, you know.”

“Huh? Really? G-good one,” 90s Kid replied, giving a weak laugh. “C-can I have my hand back now, dude? I-I mean, ma’am?”

“Of course, child of the past,” Cassandra replied, releasing him at once as she stared down at the table rather intently. “Have you decided yet? The grilled chicken with rice... a hamburger and fries... and sugar for your coffee.”

“That... how did you know I was gonna order that?” Harvey asked, both he and 90s Kid shooting her looks of surprise.

“I will bring you your meals at once,” she replied, walking away without bothering to answer him. “You must be eager to return home after so long.”

“Harvey-dude, I really think we should book it outta here,” 90s Kid whispered when Cassandra had disappeared. “She’s totally weird! How did she know all that junk about us?”

“Anyone could guess we’re travelers heading home, Junior. There’s nothing impressive about that.”

“But how’d she know what we were gonna order? It’s like she can read our minds or something!”

“She just took a lucky guess, that’s all.” Even though Harvey couldn’t deny that he was considerably weirded out by Cassandra, he could still find logical explanations for what had been happening to them. Cassandra could have a friend who was a fan of Harvey’s music, she could have seen him rubbing his neck as he got out of the car, could have heard him calling 90s Kid by name, and the palm-reading stuff was most certainly a joke, right? It had to be.

90s Kid sighed and took a long drink of his root beer, almost choking on it when he realized Cassandra had suddenly appeared right beside him without either of the two even noticing.

“My guesses are never lucky, you know,” Cassandra said softly as she placed two plates of food upon the table.

Harvey gave a nervous chuckle and patted his chest. “Oh, uh, you gave me a bit of a start there. Not good for an old ticker like I got.” He joked weakly.

Cassandra nodded, looking contemplative. “Yes, you must have had many scares in your life… the water that pulled you down until you almost could not breathe… most terrifying… ”

Harvey frowned. “I don’t know what you mean. There was never a time when I almost drowned.”

“No offense, uh, ma’am, but I don’t think your predictions are always right and stuff,” 90s Kid murmured, nervously nibbling on his fries.

She turned and seemed to stare right through him. “My predictions are never wrong, Xavier.”

90s Kid did choke this time, his face turning bright red. “What?! H-how did you-you can’t!” Even Harvey was starting to get spooked by this, there was absolutely no way this woman could have known that.

“Mr. Finevoice.” Cassandra turned to Harvey, as though 90s Kid had not just reacted in such a frightened manner. “You are eager to return home… where love awaits… the world’s Champion, correct?” Harvey felt his blood go cold. Now he was honestly nervous, especially as she reached for his own hand. “Yes... he carries a gun... a gun with a sorrowful, yet powerful magic...”

“Okay, that’s it!” Harvey wrenched his hand back and pulled out his wallet, quickly tossing several bills onto the table. “I’m sure this is enough to cover the cost of our meals, so I think we’re going to get the heck out of here. Come on, Junior.”

90s Kid jumped out of his seat, not even giving the rest of his meal a second glance as the two hurried toward the front of the restaurant. Harvey almost worried that the woman would give chase to them, but Cassandra remained still, standing beside their table as if her patrons hadn’t deserted their food and made a beeline for the exit. As Harvey pulled open the door for 90s Kid, he took a quick glance back at Cassandra and exhaled sharply when he found her staring directly at him.

“The Champion still has many trials and tasks ahead of him,” she said, her voice cold but dreamy. “Please stay by his side for as long as you can. He needs you...all of you...as much as you need him.”

Harvey wanted to make some sharp retort or slick comeback, but Cassandra’s eyes were so dark and almost empty that he ended up shuddering and turning away without saying a word. “Come on, Junior, get in the car,” he commanded as he unlocked it. “We’re getting the hell out of here and we ain’t stopping until we’ve put a whole state between us and this place.”

“I’m with you,” 90s Kid told him, but yelped as he saw Cassandra in front of him suddenly, holding a vial of clear, swirled liquid. Harvey was about to reach into the pocket where he kept his revolver, but she merely pressed the vial into 90s Kid’s hand and retreated.

“Take that with you,” she told them, her voice clear in their ears even as she walked back into the shack. “Both of you must drink from it. Heed this warning, or you will suffer misfortune on your remaining journey. Farewell, travelers.”

90s Kid and Harvey locked eyes for a moment and the teen chucked the vial as hard as he could into the woods. “Good boy. Now c’mon, let’s scram!” They dove into the car and Harvey sped away, neither one daring to look behind them for several minutes.

“That was so totally crazy,” 90s Kid mumbled, rubbing his eyes before laying back against the seat. “How did she know about Linkara? And she knew my real name! That was, like, so totally embarrassing!”

Harvey shook his head, keeping his eyes on the road. “I got no idea. Whatever voodoo she’s got goin’ on I don’t want any part of.” After a few more minutes, he frowned. “Huh... I thought there was supposed to be a turn up ahead out of this place.”

90s Kid looked around. It had taken them a long time to get into that stretch of woods, but would it take them even longer to get out? “I hope we’re not lost, dude.”

“Well, y’know what they say, Junior, bad luck comes in threes.” A loud boom of thunder overhead caused 90s Kid to jump a mile in his seat before a sheet of rain began pouring down on them. “See? Hat trick. Now we’ve got nothin’ else to worry about.”

90s Kid tried to stifle a whimper as he nodded at Harvey’s words. He knew logically that there was nothing to worry about now. He and Harvey were safe and sound in the car, driving far away from that weird woman, and heading straight for home. He knew that the bad weather could be tricky to handle when driving, but that it really shouldn’t be a problem as long as Harvey was careful. Rainstorms really weren’t things to worry about. Then a flash of lighting and a crash of thunder surrounded them, somehow amplified in intensity thanks to the acoustics of the car, and 90s Kid let out a whimper that even Harvey could hear.

“What’s wrong, Jun-ah!” Harvey broke off in surprise when he felt something wrapping around his right arm and he looked over to find 90s Kid clinging to him. “Junior! What are you doing? Get off, I’m trying to drive!”

Harvey tried to shake him off, but 90s Kid only clung tighter to him. “S-sorry, Harvey-dude,” 90s Kid whispered, looking ashamed but also very terrified. “I’m really sorry... mmm...”

Harvey suddenly remembered 90s Kid’s fear of thunderstorms, and though he wished he could offer some comfort to the teen at the moment, he really needed to have his arm back. “Junior, I know you get the shakes during these things, but I gotta have both hands on the wheel! Let go!”

Harvey yanked his arm away and 90s Kid hugged himself as another boom of loud thunder hit. Harvey tried to speed out of the woods to get away from the darkness and into the safety of the road and streetlights, but then he felt one of his rear tires blow and he spun to regain control of the car. “Whoa!” The rain made everything more slick and slippery, and the car spun for what felt like forever until they finally came to a stop.


	7. Chapter 7

It was pitch black in the car and all Harvey could hear for a moment was his rapidly thudding heartbeat. He took in a shaky gasp and whispered “Junior? Junior, you alright?” There wasn’t any answer. “Junior!” he cried, louder. “Junior, are you okay? Answer me! Charlie!” Harvey reached out a hand for him and was startled when he felt him trembling. A bright flash of lightning revealed 90s Kid sitting there, breathing rapidly, a look of paralyzed fear on his young face.

Harvey stopped thinking and acted on instinct. He unbuckled his seat belt, slid over as far as he could across the seat, and wrapped his arms around the terrified boy. “It’s okay,” he murmured, hugging 90s Kid close to his chest. “It’s gonna be okay, Charlie. Don’t you worry now, ‘cause I got you.”

90s Kid let out a quiet sob and a strangled word that almost sounded like “Dad” to Harvey’s ears, before he crushed the singer in a bear hug that sucked his breath away. But Harvey didn’t mind this time, and he let 90s Kid hold onto him as tightly as he needed to, one hand rubbing soothingly along the boy’s back. Every time another clap of thunder shook the car, 90s Kid let out another choked sob, and every time Harvey would give him a gentle squeeze, never letting 90s Kid forget that he was there with him.

Outside, the storm only seemed to be growing stronger and Harvey knew it would likely last for hours. He used his free hand to reach into his suit jacket and pulled out his teleporter. Right now the car, the luggage, and the souvenirs didn’t matter. All that mattered was getting this boy... his boy... somewhere he could feel safe again. Harvey lifted up the device and pressed the button, hoping that Linkara would at least be back at the base to greet them, and wondering how quickly they could get Dan to arrive as well.

Harvey focused hard and pushed the button several times, but nothing happened. “What the hell?” he muttered before groaning. “Damn it, these things never work when they’re supposed to.” He dug his cell phone out of his pocket and tried to find Dan’s number. He was sure that just hearing the man’s voice would help 90s Kid, but there was no signal thanks to the storm. 90s Kid was still trembling heavily and Harvey rubbed his hair gently, trying to find some way to soothe him. He started singing softly, raising his voice every time the thunder or lightning would boom again, and eventually 90s Kid’s breathing grew even and his tears began to slow. Harvey remembered times like this with Charlie, times where his son was scared and clinging to him, and he wasn’t going to let 90s Kid feel anything less than safe. “It’s alright, Charlie. The thunder seems like it’s easing up. I might have to go get a new tire, but you can stay here where it’s warm and-”

90s Kid said “No!” in a strangled voice and seemed to choke. “D-don’t leave me here.”

Harvey sighed, not sure of what to do. “I really don’t want to take you outside into this pouring rain. You’re gonna get soaked and most likely sick-”

“I don’t care!” 90s Kid interrupted, clinging even tighter to the man. “Just please let me come! I don’t wanna be alone here... please...” He started to whimper softly and Harvey’s heart broke.

“It’s okay,” he soothed, running his fingers down the boy’s back again as he attempted to calm him. “I won’t leave you alone, Charlie. You can come, but you have to promise to stay close to me, okay?” 90s Kid nodded and quickly scrubbed at his face with one hand while Harvey reached into the backseat to grab the old umbrella he kept there.

“Let me get out first,” he instructed, gently removing 90s Kid’s arms from him. “I’ll get this thing opened up and I’ll come right over for you, I swear.” Harvey smiled when 90s Kid nodded and pulled back from him, allowing him to open the car door and push open the umbrella. A moment later he had weaved his way through the trees and was pulling open the passenger side door. “Come on, son. Let’s get going."

“R-right, Dad.” 90s Kid still felt a slight feeling of guilt at using the moniker with Harvey in a serious fashion, but Harvey’s gentle nature and reassuring words were helping him feel safe, so he stepped out of the car and under the umbrella that Harvey had handed to him. Soon they were walking along a dark, wet length of road, and in the distance they saw a road sign: Gas – 3 miles.

Harvey groaned and rubbed his neck, wishing he’d thought to grab the heat pack before he’d fled that creepy restaurant. “Looks like we’ve got a hell of a walk ahead of us,” he muttered, not at all in the mood for this journey. 90s Kid stuck close to Harvey as they walked, glad that the lightning hadn’t flashed for a few minutes and that the thunder seemed to be quieting somewhat, though he still jumped every time a rumble occurred. Harvey jumped as well on instinct and ended up growing more and more irritated since each jostle was agony on his muscles, especially in his neck, and he was starting to deeply regret not leaving 90s Kid in the car.

After about twenty minutes of walking, Harvey started to cough and 90s Kid turned to him in concern. “Dude, are you getting sick?” he asked, offering the item in his hand. “Here, take the umbrella. I don’t want you to get a cold.”

Harvey stifled a terse remark and shook his head. “I’m fine, Junior.” He was not at all in the mood to be babied by someone who had just been shaking at a thunderstorm. One of them needed to be the adult here.

”C’mon,” 90s Kid tried to insist, “I’ve been holding it for a while. We’ll, like, take turns.”

“I told ya I’m not sick!”

“But it’ll help!”

”You’ve already done enough helpful things today!” Harvey snapped. Being in the cold, wet rainstorm in the middle of nowhere with his clothes ruined, his car crashed, his feet hurting, and his neck aching was having a major affect on Harvey’s mood, and it was definitely starting to make itself known. “I can’t believe we’re stuck out here all because you saw that damn sign on the side of the road!”

90s Kid recoiled slightly, as if he’d been struck, and Harvey’s eyes softened momentarily, before the teen’s expression hardened. “You’re blaming me for that? There weren’t any other signs on the road, dude! Where else were we supposed to go? I didn’t see you, like, coming up with any ideas, so... so back off, you jerk!”

Harvey stepped into a puddle that was knee-deep just as 90s Kid finished speaking, and instead of cooling him off, the cold water only made the anger inside him burn hotter.

“Back off you jerk, huh?” he repeated hotly. “Maybe I should have backed off of this whole trip when I had the stupid idea in the first place! If I’d been smart about it, I wouldn’t be stuck out in the middle of nowhere, soaked to the skin and bleeding into my best shoes, all because of a numbskull like you!”

Harvey fell silent after unleashing all that, every spark inside him extinguished when he saw the look of absolute hurt on 90s Kid’s face. “No,” he said softly, not even sure if it was directed at him or the teen. “No, I... Junior, wait!” Harvey watched in horror as 90s Kid turned and started to run off, dropping the umbrella to the ground with a noisy plop. ”Junior! I didn’t mean that! I-ahhh!” In his attempt to chase after the boy, Harvey stepped into yet another puddle, one which twisted his ankle in ways human ankles weren’t meant to bend, bringing him to hands and knees which quickly stung from the gravel digging into them. “Owww... damn it...”

90s Kid was running, not even caring where he was going, the only thoughts in his mind being to find civilization again and hitch a bus for home, but then Harvey’s loud cry behind him made him stop. He turned and saw the man lying on the ground and clutching at his ankle, and then he forgot all thoughts of trying to run. 90s Kid forced himself to ignore the hurt feelings that were plaguing his heart and quickly headed over to Harvey, taking great care not to slip. He went to Harvey’s side and knelt down, looking over his body carefully.

“Are you okay? Can you walk?”

Harvey attempted to get up and hissed loudly, shaking his head. “I d-don’t think so,” he said through clenched teeth, and 90s Kid bit his lip, getting flashbacks to tangled skis lying in the snow. He wished that Linksano were there, or that the teleporters were working, so that he could get Harvey proper medical attention, but it didn’t look like there was any chance of that happening. 90s Kid realized what he needed to do and his jaw set, bending down and gently scooping the singer into his arms.

“H-hey, what are you doing?” Harvey asked, startled, but 90s Kid merely set forth down the road, looking straight ahead.

“I’m getting us some help.”

“You don’t have to carry me around!” Harvey tried to argue, attempting to squirm out of his arms before giving up as another wave of pain washed over his ankle. “I told you, I can take it!”

“You can’t even walk, dude,” 90s Kid explained as he continued to travel down the road in the direction of the gas station. “There’s no way you can get anywhere without someone helping you.”

“Junior, you... you don’t have to do this.” Harvey looked sadly at the fallen, now mangled umbrella they were leaving in the distance. “You’re getting soaked. Just leave me and get someplace dry until this rain quits.”

“No way,” 90s Kid said, continuing forward with a now determined look on his face. “I can totally make it three miles, dude.”

“Not with my fat keister dragging you down,” Harvey muttered, surprised when he saw the hint of a smile on 90s Kid’s face. Harvey couldn’t help smiling a little as well and he decided to make the best of this situation, so he wrapped his arms around 90s Kid a bit tighter. “Thanks a ton, Junior. You’re really savin’ my bacon here.”

“After all the times you’ve saved me, I owe you a couple,” 90s Kid replied, glancing down at the singer briefly before turning back to the road.

“Look, Junior, about before... I’m sorry. I really didn’t mean what I said-”

“I know,” 90s Kid cut him off. “I know, but... it still hurts to hear it.”

Harvey sighed as the guilt overcame him, the guilt of how he used to treat 90s Kid before they’d become friends. It was a time he had often tried to atone for, and what this trip had been intended to do, once and for all. And he’d hit 90s Kid with the one insult that he was the most sensitive to. “I swore to myself I’d never say it to you again, and here I am. What a great tour guide I turned out to be.” He gave a short laugh and was relieved when 90s Kid offered up a brief smile.

Harvey felt a bit awkward and embarrassed about being a grown man who needed to be carried by an eighteen-year-old. “I can tell why Crockett likes being in this position,” he tried to joke. “You’re a pretty strong young buck.” 90s Kid’s smile brightened further, but he kept his gaze steadily in front of him as he kept moving along the wet path.

After what felt like ages, lights from a gas station finally appeared through the mist. 90s Kid set Harvey down and let him limp while leaning against him over to the safety of the gas pumps. 90s Kid winced at the sudden pains he felt in his arms and legs; he’d had so much to think about before that he hadn’t noticed this soreness until now.

Harvey also noticed that 90s Kid was moving a bit stiffly and sighed as he reached out to pat the teen’s shoulder. “Sorry about this, Junior. You’re gonna be feeling the weight of what you just did for some time to come.”

“It’s fine,” 90s Kid tried to shrug off as he rubbed the crook of one elbow, and then the other in turn.

“It’s not. I really owe you big time for this.” 90s Kid shot Harvey another small smile and it seemed like things between them were finally starting to be feel normal again. In need of some stress relief, Harvey reached into his jacket and pulled out his cigarettes and lighter. He also pulled out his phone to make sure it hadn’t taken any water damage during their trek to the gas station and was surprised to see a few bars on it. “I got a signal!” he happily told 90s Kid as he pressed the button to speed dial Linkara’s number. “Kid, is that you?”

“Hey, Harvey!” Linkara cheerfully replied. “What’s up? You and 90s Kid close to home?”

“Uh, not really, but I can explain that later,” Harvey said as he shifted back against the pumps, trying to keep weight off his ankle. “Look, you gotta talk to the Doc and find out why the teleporting thingies are on the fritz!”

“They are? Linksano didn’t say anything about that. Hold on. Linksano!”

Harvey listened as Linkara fetch the scientist, telling him in no uncertain terms that he wanted the teleportation system back up that instant. “Harvey, are you there?”

“Yeah, Kid.”

“Linksano said it’ll be just a few minutes. Apparently something went wrong with one of our orbital satellites but he’s almost fixed it.”

“As long as it’s up and running quick, we’ll be sitting pretty.” Harvey coughed again.

“Harvey, you sound awful,” Linkara said with concern. “Are you guys okay? Where are you?”

Harvey kept coughing and 90s Kid took the phone. “We’ll explain when we get there, okay dude? We gotta get home!”

Linkara could hear the urgency in 90s Kid’s voice and he shouted to Linksano again that he needed those teleportation systems back up _now_.

“Alright, they’re online!” They heard Linksano say faintly. “If they would just try now, then it should get them home!”

The travelers each breathed a sigh of relief. “Alright, Linkara. We’ll be home soon, dude! Sit tight!” 90s Kid hung up without waiting for a reply and reached into his pocket for his teleporter. Before 90s Kid could press it, he was surprised when Harvey pulled him into a hug.

“Hey, Junior, before we get back to the family,” he murmured. “I just wanna say I’m sorry, and I’m happy I brought you out here. It was the best tour of my life.”

90s Kid took in a deep breath and fought off the tears that threatened to appear as he hugged the older man back. “It’s okay, Harvey-dude. I forgive you for saying that junk and I... I’m totally happy I came with you too.”

The two pulled back briefly and smiled at each other before 90s Kid held the teleporter up high and pressed the button with all his might.


	8. Chapter 8

Seconds later they found themselves in Linkara’s living room, and Harvey collapsed onto the couch with a sigh of relief. “Oh, there’s no place like home,” he groaned before wincing slightly as he tried to move his ankle up onto the couch.

Linkara, who had rushed right over the second they’d appeared, looked at Harvey with worry. “Are you hurt?”

“Yeah, he is,” 90s Kid answered as he headed towards the basement. “I’ll get Linksano to come look at him.”

“Thanks, 90s Kid,” Linkara replied as he knelt down beside the couch and touched Harvey’s cheek. “You’re soaking wet! What happened to you two out there? How’d you get hurt and where’s the car?”

“Which one you want answered first, Kid?” Harvey panted, closing his eyes a bit as exhaustion began to overtake him.

“None,” Linkara declared as he bent down to kiss the singer softly. “Save up your strength for now and you can tell me all about it later.”

Linksano was practically dragged up the stairs by 90s Kid and led over to the couch. “He’s right over here, dude! You need to look at his ankle!”

“I’m getting a sense of déjà vu.” Linksano panted as he bent down to examine.

“Is it as bad as Dan’s?” 90s Kid asked in worry.

“No, merely twisted, it’s not as bad as a sprain,” Linksano replied, stuffing a pillow under the injured area. “Keep off it for a day or two and I’ll bring you some painkillers. I must admit, it seems as if you have had quite a _trip!_ ” Linksano cackled at his pun while Harvey shot him his best glare.

“Thank you, Doc, from the heart of my bottom.” 90s Kid giggled before turning towards the stairs when he heard people approaching.

“What’s going on down here, friends?” Dan asked cheerfully, Boffo right behind him, though both of them froze in place when they noticed a soaking wet Harvey and 90s Kid standing there. “Kid! Harvey! Are you two alright?”

Dan prepared to rush to him but 90s Kid held a hand up to stop him. “Not yet, Dan. I need your help. I need you guys to go upstairs and get towels and blankets and stuff. And Boffo-dude, can you get clean clothes for Harvey and me? Harvey’s hurt his ankle and he can’t get up and stuff.”

“Junior, you need to sit your rear down too, you’re the one who just carried me for three miles,” Harvey reminded him.

“He did what?” Dan, looking very worried, tried again to head towards 90s Kid, but the teen caught his hands and shook his head.

“Dan, I promise, I’m okay. I’ll tell you everything in a couple minutes, but I really need this stuff for Harvey-dude and me first. Can you get that for me, please?” he asked, face softening into a smile. “After you do, I’ll give you the biggest hug ever and tell you all about the awesome stuff we did on our trip.”

Dan smiled back at 90s Kid and nodded at him eagerly. “Of course, sweetie. I won’t let you down. Boffo and I will be right back with everything! Come on, Boffo!” Boffo honked in agreement before they both scurried up the stairs to gather the supplies. 90s Kid sighed with relief before grimacing as he lowered his arms.

“You look like you could use a couple of painkillers yourself,” Linksano noted as he offered a few to the teen. 90s Kid hesitated.

“I dunno, I don’t really like medicine...”

“I assure you, this is my own concoction and it will leave you with none of the usual side effects this type of medicine often causes,” Linksano explained. “Plus, it’s chocolate-flavored!”

“Chocolate! Alright, I’m totally taking some!” 90s Kid agreed as he swallowed the pills with ease.

After the household had fled hither and yon to aid Harvey and 90s Kid in their arrival, they were finally both warm and dry one again. Harvey, wrapped in blankets, lay on the couch with his ankle raised, while 90s Kid sat on the floor beside him, sipping cocoa and eating grilled cheese sandwiches that Ninja was kind enough to make for them after he’d learned of their arrival.

“So, I think you two have some explaining to do,” Linkara gently requested. Harvey’s head was resting in his lap and he was softly running his fingers through his hair.

“We want to hear all about your trip, sweetie!” Dan was seated beside 90s Kid, his arms wrapped around his torso protectively.

“Well, since the gang’s all here, I think we can explain,” Harvey chuckled, feeling better now that they were home. “Though someone’s gonna have to go and pick up my car later.”

“Don’t worry about that right now,” Linkara told him. “What’s important is that you guys are home safe.”

Harvey smiled up at him. “Jeez, we’ve been through so much these last two months I don’t even know where to start.”

Boffo’s horn suddenly got their attention as he pointed to the TV. _Look!_

“An update on the car found seemingly abandoned in the woods off Route 58,” a news anchor announced in a prim and proper voice. “The vehicle belongs to beloved lounge singer Harvey Finevoice, who has been touring the northeast for the past two months.” The camera suddenly cut to a shot of Harvey singing on stage and smiling brightly to the crowd while 90s Kid played his guitar beside him. “While the vehicle appears to be only slightly damaged, Mr. Finevoice has not yet been located. We will keep you updated until we know more.”

“Aw jeez, that’s just what I need,” Harvey sighed, rubbing his face in annoyance. “Now I’m gonna have every conspiracy theorist coming to my shows asking if I’m the real Harvey Finevoice or just an alien duplicate.”

“You act as if this is a common occurrence,” Linksano said.

“Believe me, it is.”

“Wait a minute,” Linkara said, suddenly looking to 90s Kid. “Was that you up there on stage with Harvey in that clip?”

“Oh, y-you noticed that,” 90s Kid said, blushing suddenly. “Um, yeah, that was me.”

“What?” Linkara and everyone who wasn’t Harvey or Dan turned to the teen in surprise.

“Didn’t you all know that Junior played an axe?” Harvey asked, smiling fondly at 90s Kid. “After hearing his stuff, I asked him if he would lend his talent to the stage and accompany me one night. I tell you, I never got a round of applause so loud in my life.”

“No way, y-you’re just saying that,” 90s Kid mumbled, blushing harder, while Dan gave him an affectionate squeeze.

“You are good, sweetie. If you don’t believe me, you have to believe Harvey. He’s the musical expert around these parts, so what he says has to be true.”

“I must say, it certainly takes courage and talent to perform for a crowd,” Linksano complimented. “You looked as though you were doing a splendid job.”

*Music is something that touches the souls of all of us* Ninja held up, smiling. *I am glad to know it has brought out your inner creativity, 90s Kid.*

 _I’m so happy you got to perform! It’s certainly a rush to be up in front of everyone, isn’t it?_ Boffo honked, his eyes twinkling.

Linkara reached out and squeezed 90s Kid’s shoulders for a moment, nodding in agreement. “I’m proud of you, 90s Kid. It sounds like you guys had a hell of a show. You’ll have to drag that thing out for us sometime.”

90s Kid pressed closer to Dan, who kissed his reddening cheek. “Kid, why don’t you tell us about the time you got to spend in New York? I’m sure you guys had lots of fun there.” 90s Kid, though he did feel a sense of deep gratitude to his friends for their praise, was grateful for the change of subject and plunged into stories about New York and the other places they had visited.

“You’re telling me that Finevoice lit up in a crowded dining establishment?” Linksano gasped, before cackling with mirth. “That is _classic!_ ”

Harvey rolled his eyes. “Oh, like you haven’t almost torched a place, Doc.”

“Never a restaurant, for your information.” Linksano replied, though he looked a bit sheepish now.

“Besides, that wasn’t the scariest thing that happened to us,” Harvey said as he lit up a cigarette. “Do you know what hellhole Junior dragged us to in New York?”

“Do you mean the zombie place?” 90s Kid asked, looking surprised. “Dude, that place was awesome!”

 _Zombies?_ Boffo honked, looking a bit worried. _That does sound a bit scary._

“Oh it was, Chuckles, though I was more scared for my suit than anything else,” Harvey said with a chuckle as 90s Kid launched into an explanation of the restaurant. The rest of the afternoon passed like that, with Harvey and 90s Kid sharing stories and answering questions, both still exhausted from their ordeal but also very relaxed and happy now that they were finally home.

“…so, the lady there could guess exactly what it was we wanted to eat for lunch, but I thought she was a bit off her rocker because she claimed I had some problem with swimming or something,” Harvey explained. “But then she started goin’ on about all this crazy stuff! She knew you were the world’s Champion, Kid! And she said you had a gun that used powerful magic.”

Linkara blinked and the others looked stunned. “Pollo, remind me to look into this sometime. It might be nothing, but I want to be prepared for anything. Was there anything else suspicious about her, you two?”

“Yeah, that lady knew my real name! Like, my first name!” 90s Kid piped up.

“Really?” Linkara asked, curious. “What is it?”

90s Kid scoffed. “I’m not telling you!”

Dan leaned in mischievously. “Hmm, well maybe I can help shed some light on this subject, Kid.” 90s Kid started poking his stomach playfully.

“You’re not telling either if you wanna stay over here tonight, Danny!”

“Hey, low blow!” Dan giggled. “Alright, sweetie. In the immortal words of The Go-Gos, my lips are sealed.”

Harvey continued on with the story and Linksano clicked his tongue. “If only you had brought that vial to me, I could’ve examined it! It could have been some sort of revolutionary medicine! It could have been some sort of preventionary-”

“It also coulda been tap water, but there’s no way we were gonna bring it home with us,” Harvey told him, groaning as he sat up. “For now, I am beat, and I think I’m gonna turn in.”

“Yeah, me too,” 90s Kid agreed. “I feel like I could sleep for, like, a week.”

“Aww, I’m sorry, sweetie,” Dan said, leaning over to peck his cheek again. “Why don’t I run upstairs and get things ready for you?”

“Thanks, dude. I’ll be right up.” The crowd in the living room quickly said their good nights before dispersing, leaving 90s Kid and Linkara to help Harvey up the stairs.

“Thanks, Kid, I really appreciate this.” Harvey said, pressing his lips to Linkara’s for a moment.

“No problem,” Linkara replied with a smile. “Do you need anything else?”

“Nah, I got it covered. After a good night’s sleep, I think I’ll be back in ship shape.”

“That’s what I like to hear,” Linkara said as he headed to the stairs. “Okay, I’m going to go deal with the press and getting your car back now.”

“Thanks, Kid. Love you.”

“Love you too.” Once Linkara had left, 90s Kid was about to do the same, when he felt a hand on his shoulder.

“Junior? I know we’re both pretty wiped, but uh... I was wondering if I could talk to you for a minute?”

90s Kid was surprised by how nervous Harvey looked, but he nodded and followed the singer into his room. Harvey shut the door and motioned for them both to sit on the bed.

“I really wanna thank you for coming with me on this trip,” Harvey began; his hands folded together, his gaze downward. “I know we had it rough at times, cuz we both can say things without meaning ‘em, but it... it really meant a lot to me having you along. And uh...” Harvey paused, and took a breath. “Speaking of things we don’t mean... I know we were kinda kidding around there calling each other... you know.” Harvey squeezed his hands together and forced himself to keep going. “But uh, I didn’t mean to... I mean, I wasn’t trying to make you feel like you were a replacement or... or whatever... so if you like, we can just forget the whole thing happened. You... you’d probably feel more comfortable with that, right?”

90s Kid swallowed, his mouth suddenly feeling very dry. He felt a strange mixture of uneasiness and shock knowing that Harvey somehow felt just as nervous as he did about this. “Well, uh,” 90s Kid’s voice was squeaky and he tried again to clear it. “Actually, uh... no.” Harvey looked to him in surprise while 90s Kid stared at his lap. “I know it all started off as like a joke and stuff, but I wasn’t kidding!” He didn’t know why he was raising his voice all of a sudden; just that he worried his courage would fail him if he didn’t pour it all out. “I totally wanted to say it, Harvey-dude! Not just cuz we got a cheaper room at that hotel but... but because I still want to be–still want to call you–” He swallowed. “I just thought that since you already... I don’t wanna replace him, Harvey. I could never replace him. But I still want to be like him. I know that sounds so weird, but...” 90s Kid’s voice was starting to shake. “I liked getting to be your son, even if it was just for a little while!”

Harvey choked back a sob as he wrapped his arms around the teen and hugged him tightly, so tightly, for a time never wanting to let him go. “It... it’s not weird,” he managed to say, his voice sounding hoarse as his emotions threatened to overwhelm him. “I know what you mean. You can’t replace him, but you’re... you’re my son too.” he said, pressing as tightly to 90s Kid as he could. “You’re my Charlie and I... I liked getting to be your Dad. I still want to be if you want me to-”

“Yes!” 90s Kid cried out, the tears he’d held back earlier returning in full force now. “Please, Harvey-dude... call me son again. I really liked it and I... I still want to be your g-good Charlie.”

“You are,” Harvey whispered, closing his eyes as the tears started to fall. “You’re such a good boy...I love you, son.”

“I love you too, Dad.” 90s Kid echoed before burying his face in Harvey’s shoulder. “Sorry about being a pain and picking cruddy restaurants and messing up your clothes.”

“Sorry about being an old cranky jerk and saying stuff I never honestly meant.” Harvey patted 90s Kid’s back, trying to console them both right then. “Sorry for calling you dumb. I swear on my life I’ll never do it again!”

“It’s okay. But I’m kinda tired of sorries,” 90s Kid said, looking back up at the singer with a reddened, tear-stained face. “Let’s just say ‘I love you’ again, ‘kay?”

“I like the way you think, Junior. Love you, son.”

“Love you too, Dad.”

Harvey pressed his lips against 90s Kid’s forehead and held him close for few moments longer before pulling back and wiping both of their faces with his handkerchief.

“This trip was so totally awesome,” 90s Kid whispered, thinking that if there was a part he had to like best, it was the fact that he and Harvey were truly bonded with each other now. Harvey felt the same way, patting 90s Kid’s shoulder and feeling his heart grow lighter than it had in ages, as though a part of his pain had just drained away. “Thanks again, Dad.”

Harvey smiled. “Anytime, son. We should see if we can do it again next year.” He reached for the tissues and concealer on his nightstand. “You might wanna go wash your face before you head to your room or Crockett might ask questions.”

90s Kid shook his head. “I’ll just give him answers, dude. I want him to know that I’m your son.” Harvey looked down for a moment to regain his composure.

“Say, have you told Crockett yet? About...” Harvey trailed off but 90s Kid knew what he meant.

“No. I didn’t wanna tell him if you didn’t want him to know.”

Harvey gave a soft smile. “It’s okay if you wanna tell him, Junior. I know you love to tell that guy everything. I don’t want you to feel like you gotta keep a secret for me.”

90s Kid reached out to squeeze Harvey’s shoulder this time. “Maybe I will one day. But not right now. Right now, I wanna tell him how awesome going on that trip made me feel and how I finally got the dad I always wanted. That’s all that matters to me.”

Harvey nodded, keeping his hands squeezed together tightly so he could retain his composure. “You gotta do what feels right for you. Just know that you have my blessing.”

90s Kid gave his shoulder one last squeeze before heading to the door. “See you in the morning, dude.”

“Sleep well, son.”

“I really love you, Dad.”

Harvey smiled and wiped back one last tear. “I really love you too, Charlie.”


End file.
